hout being hissed and pelted by the mob, and it is hard for a
minister to convince himself of the admiration of a nation when a
strong bodyguard is necessary to secure him from the constant danger of
personal attacks. Bute's character did not refine under the tests
imposed upon it. His objectionable qualities grew more and more
unpopular. The less he was liked the less he deserved to be liked.
Adversity did not magnify that small soul. In his mean anger he sought
for mean revenge. Every person who owed an appointment to the former
ministry felt the weight of the favorite's wrath. Dismissal from
office was the order of the day, and Whig after Whig was forced to
leave his place or office open for {29} some Tory who was ready to
express an enthusiasm for the statesmanship of Bute.

[Sidenote: 1762--Bute's foreign policy]

Bute's idea of a foreign policy was to reverse the policy of Pitt. He
abandoned Frederick of Prussia to his enemies by cutting off the
subsidy which Pitt had paid him, on the ground that the time agreed on
for the subsidy was up, and that as England only granted it for her own
purposes, and not to benefit Frederick, she was justified in
discontinuing it whenever it suited her. Only a chance saved the Great
Frederick from what seemed like inevitable ruin. The Czarina,
Elizabeth of Russia, died, and was succeeded by Peter the Third. With
the change of sovereign came a change in the purposes of Russia. The
Russian army, which had fought with Austria against Frederick, now
received orders to fight with Frederick against Austria. The war with
Spain that Pitt had predicted Bute was obliged to wage. The conduct of
Spain made it impossible for him not to declare war, and, aided by
Pitt's preparations, he was able to carry on the war with considerable
success. But the credit for such success was generally given to Pitt,
and when Bute made peace with Spain and France it was generally felt
that the terms were not such as Pitt would have exacted after so long
and splendid a succession of victories. There was, indeed, a good deal
to be said for the peace, but at the time those who tried to say it did
not get a very patient hearing. It was well that the long Continental
war was ended. Few of those engaged in it had gained much by it.
Prussia, indeed, though it left her wellnigh bankrupt and almost ruined
by the enormous burdens she had sustained, was better in position. She
came out of the struggle w