Samuel Madden

“ George, at the head of his victorious army took it; his detatchments over-run the whole province of Orleanois, even to Nevers: himself made a triumphant entry into Paris, and Philip the new French King hardly reigned in his capital, before he was obliged to fly from it. All Picardé was immediately conquered; the English themselves were amazed at the rapidity of their own success. Montar, Sens, Troyes, and Auxerre, opened their gates to the Conqueror. The strongest fortresses held out but a few days; so universal was the terror which spread over all France. ”

“ Charles, to stop the progress of his Britannic Majesty, placed the Duke of Ventadour at the head of a prodigious army (collected from all parts of France) of near one hundred thousand men; a force, if well managed, by being divided into two or three armies, strong enough to overwhelm George at once: but numerous as this body of troops were, they came only to be spectators of the success of the King of England. Without a single blow his Majesty made himself master of Bologne, and, slipping by the French army in the night, surprised Monstrevil. ”

“ The reign of Queen Anne, was a period in which the English arms made a respectable figure in Europe during the continuance of the war, and her councils, like those of a succeeding reign, a very pitiful one at the end; our trade still increased, and with it, our public debt. The greatest part of the reigns of the two first Georges contained little remarkable. In reading their histories we meet with none of those actions that raise and elevate the soul, and make us wonder at the power that executed them. The period of our history that is graced with the name of George III. is more splendid ”

“ He there found himself in the midst of his own creation, and was never so well pleased, as when he was engaged in raising noble piles of architecture; in conversing with men of genius, and planning future establishments in favour of the arts and sciences. Had the other Princes of Europe been possessed of such a philosophic disposition, George would never have attacked his neighbours; he was far more pleased to be at the head of an academy at Stanley, than of a victorious army, conquering a great kingdom. ”

“ However, the strongest proof, the excellence of all his opinions, is the universal praise that is bestowed on his memory by all foreign historians. His name was as dear to France as it was to Great-Britain. Fortunate nations to possess a king formed by nature to make the world he governed happy! ”

“ In fact, George ought rather to be considered as a philosophical king, than a consummate politician: he had too many virtues to shine greatly in the latter character: yet those men, who have blamed so much the political conduct of the king, in giving liberty to a great kingdom, speak merely as politicians: but George's memory will out-last every reflexion of this nature, and virtue will triumph in spite of the most scandalous misrepresentation: In some instances, his conduct was certainly faulty, but he never committed an error, which did not proceed from a good motive. ”

“ He had entrusted the management of the buildings to Gilbert; but every one who built houses, were left at liberty in every point but the front; the side of every street formed a regular one, and fancy itself could not form an idea of any thing more truly magnificent than all the streets of Stanley: they exhibited all that was great and elegant, with the utmost variety, that genius could invent; and as this superb city was evidently become the metropolis of the three, or rather four kingdoms, the streets increased prodigiously: most of the nobility and gentry spent their winters at Stanley ”

“ His management in France was certainly admirable: at the same time that he secured himself against all insurrections, he gratified the conquered people. He raised many French regiments; he promoted a multitude of French officers in English and German corps; he made a mixture of the two nations, in almost every thing, except religion; but he never shocked the people with any innovations in that tender point: he had indeed, long laid the plan of rooting superstition and enthusiasm out of the kingdom, but never thought of changing the established religion. ”

“ The Monarch, who in England had been so great and magnificent a protector of the arts and sciences, acted worthy of himself in France. The French nation had enjoyed more establishments in favour of literature, such as academies, than Great-Britain, but they were in general only honourary: men of the greatest genius were often members of many academies, but almost starving for want: George therefore found no want of fresh establishments, but only the fixing certain salaries on the seats of those already in being. ”

“ The King spared no cost to render this edifice the most magnificent and superb palace in the universe. Gilbert had an unlimited power granted him to follow his genius in every particular, without the least restraint. Fleets of ships were continually passing from Portland to Hull and Lynn with cargos of stone, which were conveyed in barges to the place where the palace was to be built. Ten sail were sent to the different ports of Italy, to load the finest marbles. In short, nothing was spared to make this palace the wonder of the world ”

“ The Arts and Sciences at this period, in England, wanted nothing but encouragement to raise them to a very splendid height, and to make the age of George VI. rival any of those remote ones that are so celebrated in history. It is both entertaining and curious to reflect on their state during this reign, and compare it with the present; those great men whose names alone would have immortalized the age of George VI. are now gone, and have left none to succeed them. Indeed they still live in their admirable works, but have left few successors to their genius and abilities. ”

“ Never was any battle more critically won. The English army was on the point of being defeated, which would certainly have been its fate, had not the King recovered all, by one of the most masterly strokes of generalship recorded in history: never was there a braver soldier ”

“ From the foundation of the English monarchy to the age of George, Britain had never seen a painter that could rank in the first class of foreign artists. But though this great King could not create, yet he drew by his encouragements and rewards, artists from their retirements, and set them to work. No genius ever met with even a rebuke from George; merit was sure to be rewarded; and excellence in any art the certain road to fortune. Gilbert was the architect of the building, and its grandeur is well known; the President of this academy had a salary of two thousand pounds a year ”

“ It was certainly very wonderful, that all the kingdoms in Europe, should have their academies near four centuries before Great-Britain, but George supplyed the want of every thing that reflected an honour on his country. This noble institution, consisted of a president, but the number of members was not limited; the former had two thousand pounds a year, and the latter three hundred each; the first creation was of twenty-three members: and perhaps no period of time can display a brighter union of geniuses. ”

“ He immediately drew his forces out of their entrenchments, and calling in the detachments commanded by the Earl of Bury, and General Villiers; he again found himself at the head of a gallant army, of seventy thousand men in good spirits, and who longed to wipe off their late disgrace. Charles had marched to Breteuil, to intercept Sommers, and he had stationed his troops in so judicious a manner, that the Englishmen could not pass him. ”

“ From the moment George distinguished himself on the continent of Europe, he became his enemy professed, and by his intrigues, endeavoured to unite the whole force of Europe against him. He had supplyed the late King of France with immense sums of money, he had put the whole force of Spain in motion, and waited only for a proper opportunity to declare openly against the King of Great-Britain. ”

“ Nothing could exceed the sorrow of the whole army at this unhappy accident; they loved the King as a father, and never fought under him, but with an eager certainty of victory; all his dominions wept on receiving the news, and offered up the most fervent prayers to heaven for his recovery: the Duke of Devonshire commanded a small army in Paris, and hearing of the King's defeat, was at some difficulty to know how to proceed; Charles was on the full march to his capital, and his troops were too few to oppose him ”

“ The army was weak, and ill paid, the formidable naval power of the Russians having obliged the administration to turn all their efforts towards the fleet. The general despondence which prevailed throughout the nation, upon account of the debt increased the shades of this sad picture. The riches of individuals were now found to be of but little avail to the good of the state, and while we enjoyed a more extensive trade than ever, the nation was upon the brink of ruin. The Russians threw all their force into their royal navy, so that our commerce had suffered very little from privateers. ”

“ The Duke had advanced to Thoulouse, and hearing that Philip was marching to Paris, he exclaimed against this perfidy of the French in the highest terms. He reproached them with breaking their engagements, as they were to join him, and to act in concert with his army. The Spanish minister was no less loud in his complaints; but it was too late for Philip to change his plan: and the Duke with all possible caution advanced to Thoulouse: he knew the genius of the man that commanded against him, and was determined to leave nothing to fortune; to hazard no action of consequence ”

“ The King had made this sudden and rapid motion with design to bring on a battle, judging it a favourable opportunity when the Spaniards were on the march: however, finding that the Duke was taking every precaution that was possible, he gave over the design, and the two armies continued in the same position a week, during which time, George was incessantly attacking the out parties and convoys of the Duke, and trying to provoke him to a battle; but it was in vain, for the cautious Spaniard kept close in his camp, and very quietly saw the King victorious in every skirmish. ”

“ The front is certainly one of the finest pieces of architecture in the world. It was finished in 1913. The same year the parliament assembled in it; and here I cannot help quoting a passage in their address, as the praise it contains was perfectly merited by this great Monarch.—"Assembled in this edifice, which is one of the many marks of your Majesty's magnificence, and princely encouragement of the arts and sciences, we cannot omit congratulating your Majesty on the completion of so noble a monument of your grandeur and the nation's glory. ”

“ While the King broke through every battalion of French, with the irresistable fury of his cavalry; General Young brought up sixty pieces of cannon, which plaid on their broken troops near an hour. All the efforts of Charles were in vain; the battle was lost beyond the power of recovery; and to complete the misfortunes of the French, their King, as he was endeavouring to rally his men, was killed by a cannon ball. The Earl of Bury, with twenty thousand men pursued the flying enemy, and made a vast multitude of prisoners. ”

“ In the history of George the sixth, we find few or none of those episodes, or particular circumstances that might happen among the great men of his time; the historian has confined himself to the actions of the Prince alone. ”

“ The academy of architecture furnished plans, and the King gave each member a noble opportunity of rivalling each other. The author of each plan that was approved, was permitted by the King to be the architect. Nothing could excel the magnificent establishments which were made in favour of this new university: the professors, masters, &c. were all appointed with the utmost consideration; none but men of unblemished morals, and great learning, were advanced to any posts in it. ”

“ The whole French nation were astonished at the success of George, and a general despondency ensued every where, but in the breast of Charles. That Prince was in the neighbourhood of Lyons, at the head of a powerful army; but in doubt whether he should fight the English or no; his very crown was at stake; a defeat must inevitably strip him of his dominions ”

“ There was a debt contracted on it of above five hundred thousand pounds, this was paid off; and with a liberality boundless, perhaps, in its consequences, dangerous, they augmented that branch of the grants half a million yearly; so that the civil list was now two millions a year: a prodigious sum! increased by degrees for near four centuries: but what made this act of generosity imprudent to the highest degree, was their settling it for life; it is true, their opinion of their new Sovereign was not groundless, but dangerous precedents ought never to be established. ”

“ The nations that formed what we call the north having been overturned by the immense power of the Russians, made one vast monarchy, which comprehended Moscovy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Lithuania, now called the empire of Russia. ”

“ An infinite number of manufactures flourished all over the kingdom; none were so inconsiderable, as not to enjoy the King's patronage, who examined into the minutest branches, and by the vast, and penetrating capacity of his genius, attained a full comprehension of most arts ”

“ The marriage which had transferred the dominions of the house of Austria to that of Prussia, and with them the imperial title, seemed to have extinguished that generous bravery, and political reputation which the kings of Prussia had enjoyed for so many centuries. ”

“ The revolution threw us into a new scene of action, and the wars we carried on on the continent, at the same time that they secured the independency of Europe, opened new channels for our trade to flow in: but the most remarkable event of King William's reign, was the beginning of a public debt, which has since been attended with such wonderful consequences [3] . ”