Memoirs Of The Reign Of King George The Second - free ebook by Horace Walpole

Read as playlist

Memoirs Of The Reign Of King George The Second

Horace Walpole

22 chapters

6 hour read

Read as playlist

Selected Chapters

22 chapters

MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND. VOL. I.

MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND. VOL. I.

MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND. BY HORACE WALPOLE, YOUNGEST SON OF SIR ROBERT WALPOLE, EARL OF ORFORD. EDITED, FROM THE ORIGINAL MSS. WITH A PREFACE AND NOTES, BY THE LATE LORD HOLLAND. Second Edition, Revised. WITH THE ORIGINAL MOTTOES. VOL. I. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1847. Second Edition, Revised. WITH THE ORIGINAL MOTTOES. VOL. I. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1847. The work now submitted to the public is printe

23 minute read

Read Chapter

1751.

1751.

An nescis, Mî Filî, quantillâ Prudentiâ regitur Orbis? Chancellor Oxenstiern to his Son. State of the Ministry at the commencement of the year 1751—The Duke of Newcastle disagrees with the Duke of Bedford—Lord Sandwich’s subserviency to the Duke of Cumberland—Mr. Pelham adopts his brother’s jealousies—Removal of Lord Harrington on the King’s return to England—Some account of his career—Conclusion of the Spanish war—Meeting of Parliament—Mr. Pitt’s recantations—Circulation of a political paper, c

18 minute read

Read Chapter

1752.

1752.

Pour être bon historien, il ne faudroit être d’aucune religion, d’aucun pais, d’aucune profession, d’aucun parti. Reflections of the Author on commencing his Memoirs of the Year 1752—State of Parties—Treaty with Saxony—Duke of Bedford opposes it—Debates upon it in the Lords—Speeches of the Duke of Newcastle, Lord Sandwich, Marquis of Halifax, and Lord Granville—History of the Purchase of Scotch Forfeited Estates—Debates on the Scotch Forfeiture Bill. I sit down to resume a task, for which I fear

26 minute read

Read Chapter

1753, AND PART OF 1754.

1753, AND PART OF 1754.

Vernon. Then for the truth and plainness of the case, I pluck this pale and maiden blossom here, Giving my verdict on the white rose’ side . Lawyer. Unless my study and my books be false, The argument you held, was wrong in you;—( To Somerset ) In sign whereof I pluck a white rose too. Shakesp. first Part of Henry VI. Debates in Parliament at the commencement of the year 1753—The King of Prussia stops the payment of the Silesian Loan—The fictitious Memorial of several Noblemen and Gentlemen

44 minute read

Read Chapter

1754.

1754.

The new year began with orders sent to Ireland to prorogue the Parliament, and to disgrace the most obnoxious, at the discretion of the Lord-Lieutenant; but the Duke was moderate. He contented himself with obtaining an adjournment for three weeks, and with displacing Carter, the Master of the Rolls; Malone, Prime Serjeant, (a convert from Popery), Dilks, Quarter-Master and Barrack-Master General; and with stopping the pension of Bellingham Boyle, Register of the Prerogative Court, and a near rel

3 minute read

Read Chapter

1754.

1754.

Plus on étudie le monde, plus on y découvre le ridicule. La Bruyere. Les exemples du passé touchent sans comparaison plus les hommes que ceux de leur siècle. Nous nous accoutumons à ce que nous voyons; et je ne sçai si le consulat du Cheval de Caligula nous auroit autant surpris que nous nous l’imaginons.— Card. de Retz. The Author’s motives for continuing his Work in the year 1754—Flattery the vice of Historians—The Author’s apprehensions for the Constitution—His political principles—Embarrassm

51 minute read

Read Chapter

B.

B.

( Vide page 9. ) Constitutional Queries, earnestly recommended to the serious Consideration of every true Briton, dispersed in 1751, and ascribed to Lord Egmont. Whether this capital may not be beset with troops, under such orders and commands, as may render the power of King, Lords, and Commons precarious; and subject our liberties, property, and laws, once more, to a military regulation? Whether, if alarm posts should be appointed, places of rendezvous assigned, officers have the word, not to

2 minute read

Read Chapter

C.

C.

( Vide page 31. ) The following Queries are humbly offered to the serious consideration of every True Englishman. Whether it has not strongly appeared by the late conduct of the House of Commons, that they are more eager and industrious to create and to foment the spirit of party and sedition, than to promote the liberty and happiness of the people? Whether the leaders of the House have not by open force, as well as private fraud, endeavoured to weaken and reduce even the appearance of a free co

1 minute read

Read Chapter

D.

D.

( Vide page 77. ) This song was written immediately after the loss of the battle of Fontenoy, and was addressed to Lady Catherine Hanmer, Lady Falconberg, and Lady Middlesex, who were to act the three goddesses with Frederick Prince of Wales, in the Judgment of Paris, whom he was to represent, and Prince Lobkowitz, Mercury. SONG, BY FREDERICK, PRINCE OF WALES. 1. Venez, mes cheres Deesses, Venez, calmer mon chagrin; Aidez, mes belles Princesses, A le noyer dans le vin. Poussons cette douce ivres

2 minute read

Read Chapter

E.

E.

( Vide page 77. ) SONG. THE CHARMS OF SYLVIA. BY THE PRINCE OF WALES ON THE PRINCESS. ’Tis not the liquid brightness of those eyes, That swim with pleasure and delight, Nor those heavenly arches which arise O’er each of them to shade their light: ’Tis not that hair which plays with every wind, And loves to wanton round thy face; Now straying round the forehead, now behind Retiring with insidious grace: ’Tis not that lovely range of teeth so white, As new-shorn sheep equal and fair; Nor e’en that

11 minute read

Read Chapter

F. G. H.

F. G. H.

( Vide page 204. ) Extracts from Letters of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, during his Ministry at Berlin. TO THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE. Berlin, July 11-22nd, 1750. .... Count Podewils’s behaviour to me has been hitherto very cold, and when I meet him at third places, he contents himself with making me a bow, without speaking to me. I have made one visit to Monsieur Finkenstein, who is the second Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. He has very much the air of a French petit-maître manqué , and is e

14 minute read

Read Chapter

I.

I.

( Vide page 217. ) Deux Henris immolés par nos braves ayeux, L’un à la liberté, et Bourbon à nos Dieux, Te menacent, Louis, d’une pareille entreprise: Ils revivent en toi ces anciens tyrans: Crains notre désespoir: la noblesse a des Guises, Paris des Ravaillacs, le clergé des Cléments....

17 minute read

Read Chapter

K.

K.

( Vide page 225. ) Though poetry was certainly neither a point of their rivalship, nor of their ambition, it may not be unwelcome to the curious to compare these great men even in their poetic capacities. The following sonnet was written by Sir R. Walpole when a very young man; the elegy, by Lord Bolingbroke, rather past his middle age. Had they climbed no mountain but Parnassus, it is obvious how far Lord Bolingbroke would have ascended above his competitor, since, when turned of fifty, he exce

5 minute read

Read Chapter

MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND. VOL. II.

MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND. VOL. II.

MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND. BY HORACE WALPOLE, YOUNGEST SON OF SIR ROBERT WALPOLE, EARL OF ORFORD. EDITED, FROM THE ORIGINAL MSS. WITH A PREFACE AND NOTES, BY THE LATE LORD HOLLAND. Second Edition, Revised. WITH THE ORIGINAL MOTTOES. VOL. II. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1847. Second Edition, Revised. WITH THE ORIGINAL MOTTOES. VOL. II. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1847....

37 minute read

Read Chapter

1755.

1755.

Invenies etiam disjecti membra.— Hor. Fruitlessness of our efforts to maintain Peace with France at the commencement of the year 1755—Lord Hartington, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—Debate on King Charles’s Martyrdom—Scotch Sheriff-Depute Bill—Speeches in the House of Commons—The St. Michael Election—History of Earl Powlett—Preparations for War—The King’s Journey to Hanover—Duke of Cumberland at the head of the Regency—Affairs of Ireland. The tranquillity of the Administration continued to be distur

25 minute read

Read Chapter

1756.

1756.

Laissant toujours avilir sa dignitè, pour en jouir. Volt. Hist. Univ. vol. i. p. 140. Meeting of Parliament in the year 1756—Negotiations with France—Accommodation with the King of Prussia—Beckford’s accusation against Admiral Knowles—Grants to North America—Employment of Hessian Mercenaries—Mischiefs produced by the Marriage Act—Plan for raising Swiss Regiments debated in the Commons—Horace Walpole’s Speech on this subject—Swiss Regiment Bill passes the Commons and Lords—Anecdote of Madame Pomp

30 minute read

Read Chapter

1757.

1757.

Sine cæde et sanguine Pauci. — Juv. Character of the times in the year 1757—Contest in France between the Parliament and the Clergy—King of France stabbed—Damiens the criminal—His torture and execution—Trial of Admiral Byng—His sentence, and behaviour of the Court-Martial—Remarks on his case—Two Highland Regiments raised—Ordnance estimates—Guinea Lottery—Militia Bill. A century had now passed since reason had begun to attain that ascendant in the affairs of the world, to conduct which it had bee

25 minute read

Read Chapter

A.

A.

( Vide page 147. ) These Armenian letters are apparently written in humble imitation of the Persian, but greatly inferior to them; they are calculated solely for the meridian of Ireland, and contain little else besides a few severe strictures on the politics and government of that kingdom, with a particular account of the late divisions there, and the persons chiefly concerned in them. As these are topics, which, however well treated, would scarce afford our readers any entertainment, an extract

2 minute read

Read Chapter

B.

B.

[In a note to page 41 a reference is made to the correspondence of Mr. Fox with Lord Hartington, as printed in the Appendix to Lord Waldegrave’s Memoirs. The part, however, of the correspondence which is at variance with the statement in Lord Oxford’s text is not to be found in the extracts there printed; and it is therefore here subjoined, with some additional extracts from unpublished letters of the Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Fox, illustrative of the views of parties at that time.] Extract of a

8 minute read

Read Chapter

C.

C.

( Vide page 234. ) Sir Charles Hanbury Williams was appointed envoy to Dresden in 1747, was commissioned in July, 1749, along with Mr. Anstis, Garter at Arms, to carry the Blue Riband to the Margrave of Anspach; and on Mr. Fox waving, at the request of the King, his pretensions to the Treasurership of the Navy, was, with a view of gratifying that gentleman, who was his intimate friend, named Envoy Extraordinary at Berlin. He set out for that Court in May, 1750, and passed through Hanover when th

44 minute read

Read Chapter

MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND. VOL. III.

MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND. VOL. III.

MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND. BY HORACE WALPOLE, YOUNGEST SON OF SIR ROBERT WALPOLE, EARL OF ORFORD. EDITED, FROM THE ORIGINAL MSS. WITH A PREFACE AND NOTES, BY THE LATE LORD HOLLAND. Second Edition, Revised. WITH THE ORIGINAL MOTTOES. VOL. III. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1847. Second Edition, Revised. WITH THE ORIGINAL MOTTOES. VOL. III. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1847....

37 minute read

Read Chapter

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX. ( Vide page 309 . ) George I., besides the Duchess of Kendal, had several other mistresses, particularly one whom he brought over and created Countess of Darlington; by whom he was father of Charlotte, Viscountess Howe, though she was not publicly avowed. In the last year or two of his life he had another mistress, Miss Anne Brett, daughter, by her second husband, Colonel Brett, of the famous divorced Countess of Macclesfield, mother of Savage, the poet. Miss Brett had an apartment giv

29 minute read

Read Chapter