ENGLAND. 727 
In Ins difpofition he is faid to have been hafty, prone to bition of realizing in his own perfon that grand and per- 
anger, efpecially in his youth, yet foon appealed ; but feet model of a patriot king, delineated by the happieft 
the general caft of his difpofition was complacent, mild, effort of a tranfcendent genius. 
moderate, and humane ; in his way of living temperate, 
regular, and fo methodical in every branch of private 
economy, that his attention fometimes defcended to ob¬ 
jects beneath a king. He was fond of the German tafte 
for military parade, and was perfonally brave. He loved 
war as a f'oldier, he fhidied it as a fcience, and corre- 
fponded on this fubjeft with fome of the greateft officers 
whom Germany has produced. The extent of his under- 
fianding, and the fplendour of his virtues, we (hall not 
prefume to fettle, or attempt to difplay ; we rather wifli 
for opportunities to expatiate on his munificence and li¬ 
berality ; his generous regard to genius and learning ; 
and his encouragement and protection of thofe arts by 
which a nation is inftruCted and adorned. With refpeCt 
to his government, it very feldpm deviated from the in- 
flitutions of law ; or encroached upon private right; or 
interfered with the common adminiftration of juflice. The 
circumfiances that chiefly marked his public character, 
were a predilection for his native country, and a clofe at¬ 
tention to the political interelis of the Germanic body : 
points and principles to which lie adhered with the molt 
invincible fortitude; and if ever the blood and treafure 
of Great Britain were facrificed to thefe confiderations, 
we ought not fo much to blame the prince, who aCted 
from the dictates of natural affeCtion, as we fhould the 
uncontroulable fpirit of the people for military fame 
and conquefts, and the profufion with which the miniftry 
exhaufted the treafury for the accompliflunent of thefe 
objects. 
George II. bad iffue, i. Frederic prince of Wales, 
born 1707, died 1751, dining the life-time of his father. 
1. Anne, born 1709, married William prince of Orange, 
1734, died 1759. 3 - Amelia, born 1711, died unmarried 
3786. 4. Elizabeth-Caroline, born 1713, died unmarried 
3; 757. 5. George, born 1717, died at three months old. 
6. William duke of Cumberland, born 1721, died unmar¬ 
ried 1765. 7. Mary, born 1723, married the prince of 
HeflTe-CdlFel 1740, died 1771. 8. Louifa, born 1724, mar¬ 
ried Frederic V. king of Denmark 1743, died 1751. 
Frederic-Lewis, late prince of Wales, was married in 
3736 to Augufta the daughter of Frederic II. duke of 
Saxe-Gotha ; by whom he had ilfue, 1. Augufta, born 
1737, married to the duke of BriinC ick Wolfenhuttel 
1746, now living., 2. George-Willtam-Frederic III. his 
prefent majelty, born 1738. 3. Edward-Auguftus duke 
of York, born 1739, died unmarried at Monacho in Italy 
1767. 4. Elizabeth-Caroline, born 1740, died unmarried 
1759. 5. William-Henry duke of Gloucefter, born 1743, 
married the countefs-dowager Waldegrave in 1766, and 
now living. 6. Henry-Frederic duke of Cumberland, 
born 1745, married Mrs. Horton 1771, died 1790. 7. 
Louifa-Anne, born 1749, died unmarried 1768. 8. Fre- 
deric-William, born 1750, died 1765. 9. Curoline-Ma. 
tilda, born (after the death of her father) July 11, 1-751, 
married Chriftian V 11 . prefent king of Denmark 1 766, 
and died at Zell in 1775. 
George III. afcended the throne of Great Britain under 
the rich canopy of his grandfather’s victorious laurels, 
and with the advantage of being an Englifh-born prince. 
His manners were in the higheft degree decorous, his mo¬ 
rals unblemifhed, and his perfonal accomplifliments cor- 
refponded with the elevation of his rank and Itaiion; fo 
that the regret which the nation felt at the fudden de- 
mife of the good old king, was abforbed in the tranfports 
of joy excited by the aufpicious commencement of the 
reign of the young monarch, w ho had but juft attained 
the age of complete majority : being born June 4, 1738. 
From his youth upwards, the young prince feerned ever 
to have been diftinguiflied by the reCtitude of his inten¬ 
tions, and the generolity and -ingenuoufnefs of his con¬ 
duct. He was delirous to govern the Englifli nation upon 
maxims truly Englifli, and was fired with the noble am. 
The parliament, which, agreeably to the falirtary pro- 
vifions of an aCt paffed for that purpofe, continued to 
exercile its functions for the period of fix months after 
the death of the fovereign, met on the 18th of November, 
when George III. feated on the throne, delivered a fpeech 
calculated in the higheft: degree to confirm all the fond 
and flattering prepolfeflions of the public in his favour. 
After a decent expreflion of concern for the lofs of the 
late king, and imploring the blefling of heaven on his own 
endeavours to fuflain the weight of government which 
now devolved upon him, the young monarch, with great 
propriety and dignity of elocution, proceeded in thefe 
remarkable words : “ Born and educated in,this country, 
I glory in the name of Briton, and the peculiar happinefs 
of my life will ever confift in promoting the happinefs of 
a people whole loyalty and warm affeCtion to me I confi- 
der as the greateft: and mod permanent fecurity of my 
throne. The civil and religious rights of my loving fub- 
jeCts are equally dear to me with the molt valuable pre¬ 
rogatives of my crown.” After an ample delineation of 
the flourifliing circumfiances of the kingdom, he con¬ 
cluded his fpeech as follows : “ In this (late I have found 
tilings at my acceflion to the throne of my anceffors— 
happy in viewing the profperous part of it; happier (till 
fhould I have been had I found my kingdoms, whofe 
true intereft I have entirely at heart, in full peace; but 
fince the ambition, injurious encroachments, and danger¬ 
ous defigns, of my enemies, rendered the war both juft and 
neceffary, and the generous overture made laft winter to¬ 
wards a congrefs for a pacification has not yet produced 
any fuitable return, I am determined, with your cheerful 
and powerful afliftance, to profecute this war with vi¬ 
gour, in order to that defirable objeCt—a fafe and ho¬ 
nourable peace. The eyes of all Europe are upon you. 
From you the proteftant ii tereft hopes for protection, as 
well as all our friends for the prefervation of their inde¬ 
pendency, and our enemies fear the final difappointment 
of their ambitious and deltruCtive views. Let thefe hopes 
and fears be confirmed and augmented by the vigour, 
unanimity, and difpatch, of our proceedings. In this ex¬ 
pectation T am the more encouraged by a pleafing circum- 
ftance, which I look upon as one of the moft aufpicious 
omens of my reign. That happy extinction of divifions, 
and that union and good harmony which continue to pre¬ 
vail umongft my fubjeCts, afford me the moft agreeable 
profpeCt. The natural difpofition and wi(h of my heart 
are to cement and promote them ; and I promife myfelf 
that nothing will arife on your part to interrupt or difturb 
a fituation fo effential to the true and lafting felicity of 
this great people.” 
In the cottrfe of the fumnier of 1761, the king declared 
in council his refolution to demand in marriage the prin- 
cefs Charlotte-Soj iiia of Mecklenburg Strelitz; and the- 
earl of Harcourt being appointed ambaffador plenipoten¬ 
tiary to the court of Strelitz, the -contract of marriage 
was (igned, and the princefs conducted to Stade, whence 
(lie embarked on-board one of the royal yachts, and ar¬ 
rived at the palace of St. James’s, September 8, the nup¬ 
tial ceremony being the fame evening performed in the 
Chapel-royal. And on the 22d of September the coro¬ 
nation of their majelties was celebrated with much pomp 
and magnificence. The new queen foon acquired great 
popularity by the affability of her manners; and which, 
by the prudence and propriety of her conduCt, (he has 
invariably retained. 
The operations of the war w r ere (till carried on witli 
vigour and fuccefs. In the month of June, 1761, the 
illand of Dominique, important from its fituation between 
the iflands of Martinico and Guadaloupe, was reduced 
with little difficulty by an armament commanded by (1 r 
James Douglas, and a body of troops under lord Rollo. 
A far more hazardous enterprife was undertaken about 
3 the 
