3.  POWER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND THE MINISTERS

Anne was good-natured, and not disposed to give herself too much trouble, which made it possible for her ministers to wield more power over the country and its destinies.  Nevertheless, the Queen had a will of her own, and made her influence felt, especially in Church matters.  On the whole, however, Parliament and the Ministers gained in importance and influence during the reign.  Marlborough, Harley, St. John, Rochester, Nottingham, were some of the leading ministers, and towards the end of the reign Sir Robert Walpole is first heard of as a politician.

4.  THE QUESTION OF THE SUCCESSION TO THE SPANISH THRONE

When Philip of Bourbon, the grandson of Louis XIV, was proclaimed as Philip V of Spain, England, Holland, and some other nations felt that the peace of Europe, or rather the freedom of the rest of it, were threatened by the union of two such mighty powers.  Accordingly the Allies set up in opposition the Archduke Charles of Austria, and it was in support of the claims of Charles to the throne of Spain that all the wars of Anne’s reign were waged.  When at length Charles became Emperor, the Allies had no farther reason for fighting, as it would have been equally adverse to the interests of the rest of the Continent to combine Spain and the Empire.  Philip thus remained King of Spain, though he had to renounce his claims to France.

5.  THE UNION OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND

The project for the union of the two countries had been talked of for some time, but there were difficulties concerning religious matters, trade, and the refusal of Scotland to pay any of the English debt, in the way.  By the Act of Security Sophia was declared to be ineligible for the Scottish throne, and England was in alarm.  A commission was appointed to consider the question of the union, and the Act of Union was passed in 1707.  Many Scotchmen were greatly opposed to the step, yet it cannot be denied that Scotland herself has been a great gainer by the Union.

6.  THE NATIONAL DEBT

The borrowing of money to pay for wars did not originate in the reign of Anne, but the War of the Spanish Succession added no less a sum than twenty-two millions to the indebtedness of the country, and from that time the National Debt began to assume large proportions.  Many people were greatly alarmed at the state of things in this respect, and there were many who prophesied the speedy bankruptcy of the nation.

7.  PEACE AT HOME

This reign is remarkable for the entire absence of internal risings and disaffections.  Only one person was executed for treason.

8.  LITERATURE, AND ITS INFLUENCE ON POLITICS

This has been called the Augustan age of English Literature.  Pope, Addison, Steele, Swift, Defoe, Sir Isaac Newton, Vanbrugh, Congreve, Farquhar, Prior, Parnell, Colley Cibber, Gilbert Burnet, and others flourished.  The first daily newspaper, the Daily Courant, was published in 1709.  Pamphleteers, chief among them Swift, Addison, and Defoe, by their writings played a great part in politics, there being no newspaper press to mould people’s opinions.  No other period in English history, except, perhaps, the times of Shakespeare, has produced so many notable writers.