these
principles converted them into an integral part of the national life.
The habit of loyalty to them was so established by this long ascendancy
of the Whig party, that Englishmen forgot that such things could
be;--forgot that it was possible to infringe upon the sacred liberties
of the people.

However much "Whig" and "Tory" have seemed to change since we first
hear of them in the time of James I., they have in fact remained
essentially the same; the Whigs always tending to limit the power of
the crown, and the Tories to limit that of the people. At the time of
Walpole the Tories had been the supporters of the Pretender and of the
High Church party, the Whigs of the policy of William and
Protestantism. Their predecessors were the "Roundheads" and
"Cavaliers," and their successors to-day are found in the "Liberals"
and "Conservatives."

There was at last peace abroad and prosperity at home. The latter was
interrupted for a time in 1720 by the speculative {138} madness created
by the "South-Sea Bubble." Men were almost crazed by the rise in the
value of shares from L100 to L1,000; and then plunged into despair and
ruin when they suddenly dropped to nothing. The suffering caused by
this wreck of fortunes was great. But industries revived, and
prosperity and wealth returned with little to disturb them again until
the death of George I. in 1727; when another George came over from
Hanover to occupy the English throne.

George II. had one advantage over his father. He did speak the English
language. Nor was he content to smoke his pipe and entrust his Kingdom
to his Ministers, which was a doubtful advantage for the nation. But
his clever wife, Queen Caroline, believed thoroughly in Walpole, and
when she was controlled by the Minister, and then in turn herself
controlled the policy of the King, that simple gentleman supposed that
he,--George II.,--was ruling his own Kingdom. His small, narrow mind
was incapable of statesmanship; but he was a good soldier. Methodical,
stubborn and passionate, {139} he was a King who needed to be carefully
watched, and adroitly managed, to keep him from doing harm.

There was a young "Pretender" in these days (Charles Edward Stuart),
who was conspiring with Louis XV., as his father had done with Louis
XIV., to get to the English throne. We see him flitting about Europe
from time to time, landing here and there on the British Coast--until
when finally defeated at "Culloden Moo