Pitman, F. W., The Development of the British West Indies (1917). C. M. Andrews, The Colonial Period (1912), an excellent brief survey.

Contemporary. John, Lord Hervey, Memoirs of the Reign of George II to the Death of Queen Caroline (ed. J. W. Croker, 2 vols., 1848), ill-natured and to be read with caution. Horace Walpole, Memoirs of the Reign of George II (ed. Lord Holland, 3 vols., 1846). Selections from the sources. son, pt. I, nos. XXIX-XLIII.

Adams and Stephens, no. 249, and Robert

CHAPTER XLII

THE REVIVAL OF THE ROYAL ASCENDANCY.

THE FIRST YEARS OF GEORGE III (1760-1770)

The Significance of the Reign of George III. The accession of George III, 25 October, 1760, marked a notable attempt to revive. the personal power of the Sovereign and a consequent setback to the progress of Cabinet and party government for over twenty years. While his two predecessors had seen the wisdom of leaving the Government largely in the hands of their Whig Ministers, George III bent all his energies to break the power of the dominant oligarchy and systematically to impose his will upon the nation. Another result of his accession was the return to power of the Tories, after nearly fifty years of exclusion from office. Events had been working in their favor for some years before George III ascended the throne. Although the Whigs monopolized office and power and controlled Parliament, they were at odds among themselves, for the party was split into various factions, each dominated by one of the great families; moreover, Pitt, while he was nominally a Whig bound by a working agreement with Newcastle, hated all party combinations. His views and example did something to discredit the old system, though his methods and aims were quite the opposite of those of the new King. Pitt's idea was to call in the best men of both parties, who were backed by the people and voiced popular opinion; George's was to put in office only those who would serve his purpose in establishing the royal ascendancy. Aside from the disintegration of the Whigs, other causes rendered the situation most favorable for the revival of a strong monarchy. The Stuart rivals of the Hanoverian line had been hopelessly discredited by the failure of 1745. Furthermore, though George III had no share in them, the victories of Pitt had aroused a tremendous loyalty and national enthusiasm that was bound to reflect luster on the Crown. Finally, while the first two Georges were full of Hanoverian prejudices and were distrusted in consequence, their successor was born in England and inspired in his subjects the confidence that he was a typical Englishman.

George III, his Personal Traits. George III was now twentytwo years old. Owing to the quarrels of his father, Prince Frederick,1 with the late King, the boy's early years were passed apart from the royal court, so that he grew up "full of prejudices . . . fostered by women and pages." Utterly ignorant of business when he became King, he shook off his slothful habits and applied himself zealously to his duties. His favorite occupation was agriculture, which gained for him the popular title of "Farmer George." Perhaps his most admirable quality was his unquestioned bravery. This, together with his simplicity, his purity of family life, and his piety, endeared him to the middle-class Englishman. Conscientious he was, too, and right in his intentions; but overestimating his own wisdom and rectitude, he could appreciate no point of view but his own, and treated with rudeness, vindictiveness, and even treachery, all those who presumed to differ from him.

His Policy. Patriotic and high-minded statesmen who were assertive and independent were kept out of office, while those who did his bidding, however incompetent or dissolute, were loaded with royal confidence and favor. Economically as he managed his household, he spent such vast sums in the bestowal of bribes and pensions that he was always in debt. His money, together with the patronage and the boroughs which he controlled, was lavishly employed in maintaining a strong body of supporters in Parliament, known as the "King's friends," though they were not admitted to the circle of his personal intimates, who were all kindly, honest folk. Something, however, must be said for George by way of extenuation. His mother, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, who had much to do with forming his mind, ceaselessly drilled him in the traditions of a petty German court, and exhorted him to "be a King." Her closest and most trusted adviser, John, Earl of Bute, reënforced her teachings. Bute was a Scotsman, with polished manners and a talent for intrigue; but of slender ability, pompous, haughty, and a magnifier of royalty. Under their guidance, George, in order to restore the influence of the Crown, used the Tories as a body of servile henchmen, instead of building up the party on a strong wholesome footing as a counterpoise to the corrupt Whig oligarchy; instead of reforming the representative system and the public service, he increased parliamentary and official corruption; he swelled the National Debt, made serious encroachments on the liberty of the subjects, and lost to England the richest and most flourishing of her colonies. In the final estimate, some allowance must be made for the fact that twice in the first half of his reign he was attacked by 1 He died in 1751.

fits of insanity, and spent the last ten years of his life in complete mental darkness.

The Opening of the Reign (1760).-George's first aim was to break up the coalition between Pitt and Newcastle, to put an end to the war with France and to place his favorite Bute at the head of affairs. The Cabinet was torn with dissensions, and Pitt was so high-handed that he had not a single stanch supporter in the whole body. On the other hand, he was still the popular idol, while Bute was hated, partly as a Scotsman and more particularly because of the suspicion that the Princess Dowager was too much under his influence. Indeed, it was a favorite practice for the City mob, at almost every demonstration during the next few years, to hang a petticoat or a bonnet, together with a jack boot, on a pole. The King himself, however, was received at first with an enthusiasm unequaled since the Restoration.

The Resignation of Pitt (5 October, 1761). — There were various indications that George's efforts to bring about a peace would soon prevail. In March, 1761, Bute became Pitt's colleague as Secretary of State, and other Tories were brought into office. What with subsidies and the steadily increasing military establishment, the debt was piling up alarmingly; increasing difficulty was experienced in filling the ranks, and riots were of frequent occurrence. Peace negotiations had been opened, but Pitt was bent on utterly destroying the power of France. His opponents argued in reply that such a result would inevitably bring about a great European coalition against England in the interest of balance of power, and that to take Canada from France would remove an effective means of retaining a hold on the North American colonies. The French, who, nevertheless, might have been forced to accept Pitt's hard terms, were encouraged to resist when Spain ranged herself on her side and presented a series of demands to the English through the French negotiators. Pitt scornfully refused to consider any claims brought before him in such a manner, and before long broke off negotiations with the French as well. Suspecting that the two Monarchies were in secret alliance, and that Spain was on the point of joining in the conflict, he made ready to strike at her exposed places, while, in a Cabinet Council, held 2 October, he proposed an immediate declaration of war against Spain before she could complete her preparations. Events proved that he had interpreted the situation correctly; for, 15 August, Charles III and Louis XV had signed a new Family Compact uniting their countries in an offensive and defensive alliance. Only one of his colleagues agreed with Pitt; so, after a series of stormy discussions, he resigned, 5 October.

The End of the Newcastle Ministry (1762). —Thus the King and his party succeeded in overthrowing the great War Minister in the full course of his victorious career. Soon after, Spain, having completed her arrangements, openly proclaimed her alliance with France, and Great Britain was forced to reply by a declaration of war, 2 January, 1762. Thanks to Pitt's preparations, a series of new and striking successes followed. On 14 August, Havana yielded after a siege of little more than two months, and the capture of Manila followed in October. Newcastle, who had rejoiced at the fall of Pitt in the hope that he might recover his lost ascendancy, had been speedily disillusioned. The King and his followers treated him with studied rudeness and neglect. When they ceased even to consult him in questions of patronage, the veteran old place-monger resigned, May, 1762, seizing as a pretext Bute's refusal to continue the Prussian subsidy. The King's favorite, who for months had been virtually Prime Minister, now openly assumed the position.

The Bute Ministry (1762–1763), and the Peace of Paris. - By a lavish use of bribery and intimidation the Treaty of Paris was carried, in the teeth of a stout opposition by the Tories, after Pitt and the Whigs had led the country to victory. At home and abroad, the dominant party was accused of deserting the country's German allies. Bute, however, protested that Prussia was guaranteed from danger before British subsidies and troops were withdrawn from Germany, but Frederick, who also believed that the new Prime Minister intrigued with Austria behind his back, was so infuriated that he became hopelessly alienated. The loss of his support was seriously felt in the crises of years to come.

The Terms of Peace. By the definitive peace, signed at Paris, 10 February, 1763, France withdrew her troops from Germany; she restored Minorca; and ceded Canada, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and all the islands in the river and Gulf of St. Lawrence, together with such territories as she claimed east of the Mississippi, except New Orleans. She also gave up several of the West Indian islands, as well as her African possessions on the Senegal. Great Britain, on her part, restored various conquests, she granted the French certain fishing rights in the St. Lawrence and off the banks of Newfoundland, ceding two islands, on condition that they should never be fortified, and agreed that the navigation of the Mississippi should be free to both countries. She also ceded Martinique and other West Indian islands. In India there was a mutual restoration of conquests made since 1749, though the French were forbidden to have troops or fortifications in Bengal and forced to agree to acknowledge the native