persevered in his objection to Walpole, the story of the
reign would have to be very differently told. Walpole was the one only
man who could at the time have firmly stood between England and foreign
intrigue--between England and financial blunder. Nor is it unlikely that
the King would have persevered and refused to admit Walpole to office but
that he happened to be, without his own knowledge, under the influence of
the one only woman who had any legitimate right to influence him--his
wife Caroline. Caroline, daughter of a petty German prince--the Margrave
of Brandenburg-Anspach--was one of the most remarkable women of her time.
Her faults, foibles, and weaknesses only served to make her more
remarkable. She had beauty when she was young, and she still had an
expressive face and a sweet smile. She was well educated, and always
continued to educate herself; she was fond of letters, art, politics, and
metaphysics. She delighted in theological controversy, and also
delighted in contests of mere wit. But of all her valuable gifts, the
most valuable for herself and for the country was the capacity she had
for governing her husband. She governed him through his very anxiety not
to be governed by his wife. One of George's strongest, and at the same
time meanest, desires was to let the world see that he was absolute
master in his own house, and could rule his wife with a rod of iron.
Caroline, having long since discovered this weakness, played into the
King's hands, and always made outward show of the utmost deference for
his authority, and dread of his anger. She put herself metaphorically,
and indeed almost literally, under his feet. She was pleased that all
the Court should see her thus grovelling. George was in the habit of
making jocular allusion, in his jovial, graceful way, to living and dead
sovereigns who were {277} governed by their wives, and he often invited
his courtiers to notice the difference between them and him, and to
admire the imperial supremacy which he exercised over the humble
Caroline. By humoring him in this way Caroline obtained, without any
consciousness on his part, an almost absolute power over him. Another
and a worse failing of the King's she humored as well. She had suffered
much in the beginning of her married life because of his amours and his
mistresses. Her true and faithful heart had been wrung by long
jealousies; but, happily for herself and for the country, she was able at