JVA/^S OF THE LAST CENTURY. 297 



think that this was the case. He, very rightly, objects 

 to any particular period being named after a monarch, 

 such as the age of Louis XI\^, contending that history 

 should be divided into periods and not into reigns. 

 And this is right enough, since the character of the 

 age is not so much influenced by the sovereign who 

 reigns over a country, or by the Government who rule 

 it, as by the advance made in intelligent thought and 

 the disposition of the people ; but the advance made 

 in civilisation by a country is owing to the combined 

 efforts of monarch, Legislature, and people ; the people 

 it is who have the greatest influence in such a matter. 



The eio^hteenth centurv was a centurv for England 

 of continual warfare. George III.'s reign occupied 

 a very large portion of the latter part of this century, 

 and during his reign there was a great and unending 

 rivalry betwixt France and England.* In addition to 

 this there was war with Spain, and war with America, 

 so that England during that period was scarcely ever 

 at peace. The civil war with America continued 

 eight years, from 1775 to 1783. The reason we were 

 always at war with France was undoubtedly owing 

 to the fact of our contiguity to that country, which 

 brought us into frequent collision with her ; we 

 are no further off at the present day — in fact, we 

 are nearer, if we consider the speed with which we 

 can now cross the Channel, owing to the introduction 

 of steam — but, as is well known, mortal enemies who 

 live next door to one another are certain to come to 

 loggerheads, but it does not follow that two friends 

 who reside in such close proximity should remain 

 anything but friends to the end of their natural lives. 



* The wars with France lasted for twenty years, from 1744 to the 

 Peace of Paris, 1763. 



