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 the ‘Low Countries’ (which in the Middle Ages we called ‘Flanders’ and now call Belgium) to our Austrian ally; and the French and Spanish crowns were not united on the same head, which was what we had most feared. But the alliance of France and Spain remained, with hardly an interruption, a serious danger for us until 1808; and we had to fight four great wars against that alliance if we were to remain an Empire at all.

In Anne's last years, the question again came up—who was to succeed her? The Tories, who were in power, were almost inclined to say James III, in spite of his being a Papist. But ‘almost’ is not ‘quite’; and while the Tories talked the Whigs were ready to act, and, on Anne's death in 1714, George I became King. A Scottish rising on behalf of James in 1715 was put down with some difficulty; and the result was, that both English and Scottish Tories remained sore and disloyal for many years, always with half an eye to the ‘King over the water’.

The Whigs, however, got their King, a dull, honest, heavy fellow, and they allowed him no power whatever. All the offices of State were divided among a few great Whig families. George cared nothing for England, only for his native Hanover. The Churchmen growled, the country gentlemen growled; but the Dissenters and merchants rejoiced, and made haste to become very rich. Ordinary quiet persons agreed to accept King George, but without enthusiasm. Affection for King and Crown entirely died away until it was revived by the wonderful goodness and high spirit of the great Queen Victoria.

There is practically nothing to record of the reign of George I. The only important law passed was one