GENERAL HISTORY. 



[91 



CHAI'TER Vlir. 



Domestic Events. — Calamitous state of Europe in general, and its Cause. 

 — Distresses of Great Britain. — Agricidtural Distress, changing into 

 that proceeding from a bad Harvest. — Discunlents among the inferior 

 Classes. — Disturhances in the Eastern Counties, particularly Cam- 

 bridgeshire. — Sujferings among the Manufacturers. — Iron Manufac- 

 tories. — Staffordshire. — South Wales. — Spitaljields. — Meetings for Pe- 

 titioning. — Daring Riot in London. — Condition of Ireland. — Mar- 

 riages in the Roj/ul Fami.li/. 



THAT tl;e first year after the 

 restoration ot" general peace 

 should have been characteriscil in 

 this country, as that of a more 

 widely-extended distress than its 

 annals can for a long period ex- 

 hibit, must doubtless have occa- 

 sioned as much surprize as dis- 

 appointment, in the greater part 

 of the nation. This calamitous 

 state of tluoi^s must have been 

 wholly unforeseeii by those who 

 direct its councils, if an infer- 

 ence may be drawn from that 

 clause in the sj)eech with which 

 the Prince Regent opened the 

 session of parliament, in which 

 that assembly is informed, that 

 " the manufactures, commerce, 

 and revenue of the United King- 

 dom are in a flourishing condi- 

 tion;" f.n- it cannot be supposed 

 that deception, in so important a 

 concern, would have been at- 

 tempted for the purpose of ob- 

 tiiining a compliuientai^y address. 

 Yet the impending evils took 

 their oi'igin from sources ho ob- 

 vious to the view of every states- 

 man, that we may wonder at any 

 ficlf-flattery, which could spread 

 o\ier them a anomentarv veil. !n 



fact, the distresses of Great Bri- 

 tain have been contemporaneous 

 with at least equal distresses in 

 every part of Europe; and as 

 such general consequences must 

 have proceeded fiom a caiise 

 operating alike on all, it is im- 

 possible not to recognize as that 

 miiversal cause a war of twenty- 

 five yeiu's, in th:; baneful effects 

 of whicii every European state 

 has participated. Its operation 

 was indeed somewhat different in 

 different countries : but all were 

 plunged in the same misfortunes 

 of ruinous expenses, wasted 

 finances, heavy public debts, and 

 inmioderale imjiosts. The condi- 

 tion of England was so far ])ecu- 

 liar that, by means of her insular 

 situation, she enjoyed a happy 

 exemption f;om war upon her 

 own territories ; whilst, by her 

 triumjjhtmt fleets, she was ena- 

 bled to cany on an intercourse 

 with every part of the world, 

 whence she was not excluded by 

 force of tirms. Ey means of this 

 connnercial monoi^ly, and a much 

 increased demand fen* many arti- 

 cles reijuired by tlie wants of 

 war itself, sht long felt little cither 



pressure 



