III. ENGLAND UNDER THE HOUSE OF HANOVER.

The House of Hanover, which still wears the crown of England, came to the throne early in the 18th century. Parliament, to secure a Protestant succession, changed it (1701) from the male Stuart line to Sophia of Hanover, whose mother was sister to Charles I.

Sophia having died,

her son George, Elector of Hanover, became king (1714), thus uniting the crowns of Hanover and England.

TABLE OF THE HANOVER (BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG) LINE.

The political history of England under the Georges reveals an increased power of the House of Commons and a bitter strife between Whigs and Tories. The 18th century saw also our Revolutionary War with England.

George I. (1714-27), a little, elderly German, unable to speak a word of English, cold, shy, obstinate, and sullen; whose manners were as bad as his morals; whose wife was imprisoned for some alleged misconduct; and whose heart was always in his beloved Hanover,-naturally excited little feeling of loyalty among his British subjects. He was, however, frugal, industrious, truthful, and governed by a strong sense of duty. A despot in Hanover, he was a moderate ruler in England, leaving the control of the country mostly to Parliament. Having been elected by the Whigs, he chose his ministers from that party.

The South Sea Scheme, or Company, was organized (1720) to assume a part of the national debt, and, in return, to