Page:The reign of George VI - 1763.djvu/32

vi. The period of our history that is graced with the name of George III. is more splendid; it forms a remarkable æra in the annals of Europe; not from the number of great geniuses that adorned his court, but from the multitude of virtues which constituted the character of a sovereign to a happy people; yet even so great an assemblage of excellencies was not attended with a fortunate influence over the manners of his court; the great men of those days served but as a foil to set off the lustre of royal virtues: indeed few endeavoured to arrive at that summit of virtue which they considered impossible to attain, and therefore prudently beheld the merit without any wish of imitation.

In the reign of George IV. were many remarkable events, but the most material occurrence, which continued throughout that period, was the amazing increase of the national debt.