The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-01-05
The House Of Rrun.wick.

1He EA0uSe Oh EBfuMsWEcks
Despite the raging storm last evening a goodly
number gathered at Mercantile Library room to
listen to Mrs. WoolsOns lecture upon 1.-THE
House of Brunswick" Those present were
we'll rewarded for their efforts to attend, for the
lecture was both entertaining and instructive.
In opening, Mrs. Woolson said that the mem
orable "Act of Settlement" brought this house
into existence. This is simply the house of
Stuart under another name. In fact there is
but one house from the first Norman king to
Victoria, and the changes on the female side of
the houses make the change in name. When
George came to the throne there was no Queen
as bis vile had baen imprisoned for alleged in
6delities. II is hard to tell why the King him
self was not shut up for the same offence.
George reigned thirteen years, during which
time James the Pretender and his son tried TO
take the throne from him, but in vain. Sir
Robert Waldpole, the minister, was the mos
corrupt of ministers. He claimed that men
had right to their share of the governments
goods. He was the father Uf Horace, the lite
rary character. George III who succeeded
George L, reigned 80 years. During the latter
part of his reign William Pitt succeeded
Sir Robert Waldpoe. 1t was during the war
of the Austrian succession that George | [ show
ed his generalship. His reasons for taking the
part of Maria in tuis struggle are hard to tell,
and will always remain an unsettled question
La toe seven years war George was too old TO
GO into the field, aud the arrauy ements for the
army devoved upon S r William Pitt. The re-
suit of this war was that Canada was won by
the Eoglish from tue French, and this was con-
sldered great conquest. Soon after this victo-
~ considerable territory was gained ia India
and 50 important was it that the title of EN-
press of India is now given Queen Victoria.
Iu 1850, George III, then % years of age,
came to the throne amid great enthusiasm.
This great rejoicing was due to the fact that
George was born Englishman, and that the
country was happy over the recent victories.
He was known as GARNER George" and was
respected for his pure, private life. lie was,
however, narrow minded and had a poor edu
cation His narrow views were well expressed
when he attempted to force toe American colo
nists to pay burdeusome taxes. They refused
to be taxed without representation, and the
revolution was the result. Ga the 4th OF July,
1776, the Americans declared their indepeud-
ence, and in 1888 George was compelled to sub !
NIT. Had he taken the counsel Of wiser men,
he would have compromised, and we should |
now probably be subjects of Victoria. Soon
after the war the long impeachment trial of |
Lord Hastings began. 1t lasted for seyen
years, and Burke and Sheridan here first made |
themselves known
The French revolution was the next great |
theme of Lteress TO the English people. This |
revolution was caused by three things. The |
first was the spreading of the doctrine of the |
equality of the people by radicals. The second |
was the severe exactions of Louis XIV. The |
last cause of the trouble was the success Of the
oppressed colonists in America just before that /
time The oppressed people resolved 10 do as |
their American cousins had done aud when 1
Louis XVI took the throne the storm was ready /
to break over his head. Lafayette returned |
from America to aid them. and 10 1889 the |
struggle opened, and of the terrible results
which followed, all know. AT last the |
rayages OF the people became SO extensive that |
all the kings were alarmed and they ventored /
to take up arms to help France and thus keep |
their own people from rising. At this time /
young Corsican Napoleon Bouaparte, took l
command of the rebels and made war with all |
who attempted to interfere. In 1876 the career /
of Napoleon was ended by the battle of Water
loo. His career as Dictator of France was
short and sure.
In 1911 George III becoming insane was re-
tired, and George the lVth reigned as Regent /
and there was no Queen. His daughter, the 1
gifted Princess Charlotte, refused to marry the |
Prince of Orange, but afterwards married and |
lived but year. Her death was sadly regret |
ted. During the reign of George ~. the /
Catholic Emancipation was declared.
In 1920 William ". took the throne and was 4
succeeded in 1884 by his niece, the present |
Queen Victoria. She is not woman Of great /
pub SIG Is SHE6WU enough TO allow Wiser
people than herself to rule. Her domestic |
character will give her the title of the good |
Queen Victoria. It would seem as though the /
House Of Brunswick, in which she belongs. |
would last forever, judging from the number of |
her children and grandchildren. The ruler of |
E gland is not of SO much importance now as |
when the Divine right OF Kings" was preach
ed and practlced by the Stuarts. IT is now SO
simplihed that the government can run itself, |
and figure head is hardly needed. Thackeray, |
IN bis life OF the Georges, showed them to be |
anything but model rulers. The diary of one |
of the maids of honor also lets considerable |
light upon the habits Of the members of the |
royal family. The House Of Brunswick GER
tainly was not what could bs called brilliant.
In considering the literary personages of the /
time DIR. johnson was said to be the central |
figure around which all others cluster. In /
speaking of him bis life was divided into three /
periods. First, mis- life in Litchfeld second HIS
going to London at the age of q and his stay |
there until his pension was granted: third, |
from the time of his pension to his DEATH |
What we know of DR.. johnson is largely due to /
james Boswell, ESQ who followed him about |
day after day ard took down his daily CONVEX |
sation and has given US his life. He was not |
able TO finish bis education at Oxford as his |
father was unable to aid bin sufficiently and |
his haughty spirit would not allow aim to ac-.l
cept aid from others. After leaving school he Il
was employed as teacher but was not sue |
cessful and then tried translations. He soon 1
whom be married and thus obtained a small |
fortune. He opened a school but was able to |
get bnt oae scholar, and taking that scholar |
started Tor London. This pupil was Garrick, |
the actor. He at once went on to the stage and 1
johnson wrote for magazines but made poor /
pay and was often obliged to walk the streets /
for want of shelter. Hogarth, the painter was |
then painting and Sir Joshua Reynolds and |
GainsBorough were but boys. Thomas Gray, |
the poet, was writing lode to SPRING aud Col, |
Inns was writing "Ode to the Brave" John |
sons "London" was his first article that at /
tracted marked attention. His poetry was too |
mechanical and the Lives of Poets written by |
him shows that he had no sympathy for |
some of their most touching lines |
He wrote ''Vauity of Human Wishes" and |
other small works, and then began on his die |
tionary. He was obliged to write "Rasselas' |
to paysthe funeral expenses of his mother. He /
was too stilted for dramatist, and every line |
of play sounded like himself. When he re- |
ceived his pension of $1,000 he retired from &C.
tive labors, and produced but few things aftes
that. year before, however, he fell IN with |
Goldsmith, whom he encouraged in many ways.
1t was by his means that the Vicar Of Wake
field was printed. Goldsmith was not schol- |
ar. but ne wrote most exquisite verse, as "The
Deserted Village" or "pne Traveller" is wit
meas. The latter made his fame 1t was John-
sous great vigor of mind and good sense, as
well as his ready wit which made him what he
was. He made his h0me at the house of Mrs.
Thrale, although he had home at which he
supported several worn out literary personages.
His peculiar style of eating and drinking was
referred to. He was surrounded by very large
circle Of literary people, and his company up
to the time of his death was much sought.
The Week of Prayer.
Tho follouinn io tho nrooropo,,a For +i,o vyooI-