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。　Wisdom　must　be　the　pilot　of　good　intentions。　George　was　not　wise。　He　was　ill…educated。　He　had　never　traveled。　He　had　no　power　to　see　the　point　of　view　of　others。

As　if　nature　had　not　sufficiently　handicapped　George　for　a　high　part；　fate　placed　him　on　the　throne　at　the　immature　age　of　twenty…two。　Henceforth　the　boy　was　master；　not　pupil。　Great　nobles　and　obsequious　prelates　did　him　reverence。　Ignorant　and　obstinate；　the　young　King　was　determined　not　only　to　reign　but　to　rule；　in　spite　of　the　new　doctrine　that　Parliament；　not　the　King；　carried　on　the　affairs　of　government　through　the　leader　of　the　majority　in　the　House　of　Commons；　already　known　as　the　Prime　Minister。　George　could　not　really　change　what　was　the　last　expression　of　political　forces　in　England。　The　rule　of　Parliament　had　come　to　stay。　Through　it　and　it　alone　could　the　realm　be　governed。　This　power；　however；　though　it　could　not　be　destroyed；　might　be　controlled。　Parliament；　while　retaining　all　its　privileges；　might　yet　carry　out　the　wishes　of　the　sovereign。　The　King　might　be　his　own　Prime　Minister。　The　thing　could　be　done　if　the　King's　friends　held　a　majority　of　the　seats　and　would　do　what　their　master　directed。　It　was　a　dark　day　for　England　when　a　king　found　that　he　could　play　off　one　faction　against　another；　buy　a　majority　in　Parliament；　and　retain　it　either　by　paying　with　guineas　or　with　posts　and　dignities　which　the　bought　Parliament　left　in　his　gift。　This　corruption　it　was　which　ruined　the　first　British　Empire。

We　need　not　doubt　that　George　thought　it　his　right　and　also　his　duty　to　coerce　America；　or　rather；　as　he　said；　the　clamorous　minority　which　was　trying　to　force　rebellion。　He　showed　no　lack　of　sincerity。　On　October　26；　1775；　while　Washington　was　besieging　Boston；　he　opened　Parliament　with　a　speech　which　at　any　rate　made　the　issue　clear　enough。　Britain　would　not　give　up　colonies　which　she　had　founded　with　severe　toil　and　nursed　with　great　kindness。　Her　army　and　her　navy；　both　now　increased　in　size；　would　make　her　power　respected。　She　would　not；　however；　deal　harshly　with　her　erring　children。　Royal　mercy　would　be　shown　to　those　who　admitted　their　error　and　they　need　not　come　to　England　to　secure　it。　Persons　in　America　would　be　authorized　to　grant　pardons　and　furnish　the　guarantees　which　would　proceed　from　the　royal　clemency。

Such　was　the　magnanimity　of　George　III。　Washington's　rage　at　the　tone　of　the　speech　is　almost　amusing　in　its　vehemence。　He；　with　a　mind　conscious　of　rectitude　and　sacrifice　in　a　great　cause；　to　ask　pardon　for　his　course！　He　to　bend　the　knee　to　this　tyrant　overseas！　Washington　himself　was　not　highly　gifted　with　imagination。　He　never　realized　the　strength　of　the　forces　in　England　arrayed　on　his　own　side　and　attributed　to　the　English；　as　a　whole；　sinister　and　malignant　designs　always　condemned　by　the　great　mass　of　the　English　people。　They；　no　less　than　the　Americans；　were　the　victims　of　a　turn　in　politics　which；　for　a　brief　period；　and　for　only　a　brief　period；　left　power　in　the　hands　of　a　corrupt　Parliament　and　a　corrupting　king。

Ministers　were　not　all　corrupt　or　place…hunters。　One　of　them；　the　Earl　of　Dartmouth；　was　a　saint　in　spirit。　Lord　North；　the　king's　chief　minister；　was　not　corrupt。　He　disliked　his　office　and　wished　to　leave　it。　In　truth　no　sweeping　simplicity　of　condemnation　will　include　all　the　ministers　of　George　III　except　on　this　one　point　that　they　allowed　to　dictate　their　policy　a　narrow…minded　and　ignorant　king。　It　was　their　right　to　furnish　a　policy　and　to　exercise　the　powers　of　government；　appoint　to　office；　spend　the　public　revenues。　Instead　they　let　the　King　say　that　the　opinions　of　his　ministers　had　no　avail　with　him。　If　we　ask　why；　the　answer　is　that　there　was　a　mixture　of　motives。　North　stayed　in　office　because　the　King　appealed　to　his　loyalty；　a　plea　hard　to　resist　under　an　ancient　monarchy。　Others　stayed　from　love　of　power　or　for　what　they　could　get。　In　that　golden　age　of　patronage　it　was　possible　for　a　man　to　hold　a　plurality　of　offices　which　would　bring　to　himself　many　thousands　of　pounds　a　year；　and　also　to　secure　the　reversion　of　offices　and　pensions　to　his　children。　Horace　Walpole　spent　a　long　life　in　luxurious　ease　because　of　offices　with　high　pay　and　few　duties　secured　in　the　distant　days　of　his　father's　political　power。　Contracts　to　supply　the　army　and　the　navy　went　to　friends　of　the　government；　sometimes　with　disastrous　results；　since　the　contractor　often　knew　nothing　of　the　business　he　undertook。　When；　in　1777；　the　Admiralty　boasted　that　thirty…five　ships　of　war　were　ready　to　put　to　sea　it　was　found　that　there　were　in　fact　only　six。　The　system　nearly　ruined　the　navy。　It　actually　happened　that　planks　of　a　man…of…war　fell　out　through　rot　and　that　she　sank。　Often　ropes　and　spars　could　not　be　had　when　most　needed。　When　a　public　loan　was　floated　the　King's　friends　and　they　alone　were　given　the　shares　at　a　price　which　enabled　them　to　make　large　profits　on　the　stock　market。

The　system　could　endure　only　as　long　as　the　King's　friends　had　a　majority　in　the　House　of　Commons。　Elections　must　be　looked　after。　The　King　must　have　those　on　whom　he　could　always　depend。　He　controlled　offices　and　pensions。　With　these　things　he　bought　members　and　he　had　to　keep　them　bought　by　repeating　the　benefits。　If　the　holder　of　a　public　office　was　thought　to　be　dying　the　King　was　already　naming　to　his　Prime　Minister　the　person　to　whom　the　office　must　go　when　death　should　occur。　He　insisted　that　many　posts　previously　granted　for　life　should　now　be　given　during　his　pleasure　so　that　he　might　dismiss　the　holders　at　will。　He　watched　the　words　and　the　votes　in　Parliament　of　public　men　and　woe　to　those　in　his　power　if　they　displeased　him。　When　he　knew　that　Fox；　his　great　antagonist；　would　be　absent　from　Parliament　he　pressed　through　measures　which　Fox　would　have　opposed。　It　was　not　until　George　III　was　King　that　the　buying　and　selling　of　boroughs　became　common。　The　King　bought　votes　in　the　boroughs　by　paying　high　prices　for　trifles。　He　even　went　over　the　lists　of　voters　and　had　names　of　servants　of　the　government　inserted　if　this　seemed　needed　to　make　a　majority　secure。　One　of　the　most　unedifying　scenes　in　English　history　is　that　of　George　making　a　purchase　in　a　shop　at　Windsor　and　because　of　this　patronage　asking　for　the　shopkeeper's　support　in　a　local　election。　The　King　was　saving　and　penurious　in　his　habits　that　he　might　have　the　more　money　to　buy　votes。　When　he　had　no　money　left　he　would　go　to　Parliament　and　ask　for　a　special　grant　for　his　needs　and　the　bought　members　could　not　refuse　the　money　for　their　buying。

The　people　of　England　knew　that　Parliament　was　corrupt。　But　how　to　end　the　system？　The　press　was　not　free。　Some　of　it　the　government　bought　and　the　rest　it　tried　to　intimidate　though　often　happily　in　vain。　Only　fragments　of　the　debates　in　Parliament　were　published。　Not　until　1779　did　the　House　of　Commons　admit　the　public　to　its　galleries。　No　great　political　meetings　were　allowed　until　just　before　the　American　war　and　in　any　case　the　masses　had　no　votes。　The　great　landowners　had　in　their　control　a　majority　of　the　constituencies。　There　were　scores　of　pocket　boroughs　in　which　their　nominees　were　as　certain　of　election　as　peers　were　of　their　seats　in　the　House　of　Lords。　The　disease　of　England　was　deep…seated。　A　wise　king　could　do　much；　but　while　George　III　survivedand　his　reign　lasted　sixty　yearsthere　was　no　hope　of　a　wise　king。　A　strong　minister　could　impose　his　will　on　the　King。　But　only　time　and　circumstance　could　evolve　a　strong　minister。　Time　and　circumstance　at　length　produced　the　younger　Pitt。　But　it　needed　the　tragedy　of　two　long　warsthose　against　the　colonies　and　revolutionary　Francebefore　the　nation　finally　threw　off　the　system　which　permitted　the　personal　rule　of　George　III　and　caused　the　disruption　of　the　Empire。　It　may　thus　be　said　with　some　truth　that　George　Washington　was　instrumental　in　the　salvation　of　England。

The　ministers　of　George　III　loved　the　sports；　the　rivalries；　the　ease；　the　remoteness　of　their　rural　magnificence。　Perverse　fashion　kept　them　in　London　even　in　April　and　May　for　〃the　season；〃　just　when　in　the　country　nature　was　most　alluring。　Otherwise　they　were　off　to　their　estates　whenever　they　could　get　away　from　town。　The　American　Revolution　was　not　remotely　affected　by　this　habit。　With　ministers　long　absent　in　the　country　important　questions　were　postponed　or　forgotten。　The　crisis　which　in　the　end　brought　France　into　the　war　was　partly　due　to　the　carelessness　of　a　minister　hurrying　away　to　the　country。　Lord　George　Germain；　who　directed　military　operations　in　America；　dictated　a　letter　which　would　have　caused　General　Howe　to　move　northward　from　New　York　to　meet　General　Burgoyne　advancing　from　Canada。　Germain　went　off　to　the　country　without　waiting　to　sign　the　letter；　it　was　mislaid　among　other　papers；　Howe　was　without　needed　instructions；　and　the　disaster　followed　of　Burgoyne's　surrender。　Fox　pointed　out；　that；　at　a　time　when　there　was　a　danger　that　a　foreign　army　might　land　in　England；　not　one　of　the　King's　ministers　was　less　than　fifty　miles　from　London。　They　were　in　their　parks　and　gardens；　or　hunting　or　fishing。　Nor　did　they　stay　away　for　a　few　days　only。　The　absence　was　for　weeks　or　even　months