t to curtail the authority of the bishops, and to
secure to all Trinitarian Protestants entire liberty of worship and
all civil and political rights and privileges. Thus to the bitterness
of heated political controversy there was added the still more acrid
bitterness of theological dispute.

Addison illustrates the feeling that then prevailed by an amusing
story of an earlier occurrence. A boy who had lost his way in London
was called a "popish cur" by a Whig because he ventured to inquire for
Saint Anne's Lane, while he was cuffed for irreverence by a Tory when,
correcting himself, he asked bluntly for Anne's Lane.

The Queen, although she owed her crown mainly to the Whigs (S479),
sympathized with the Tories (S479) and the High Church, and did all in
her power to strengthen both. As for the leaders of the two parties,
they seem to have looked out first for themselves, and afterwards--
often a long way afterwards--for their country. During the whole
reign they were plotting and counterplotting, mining and undermining.
Their subtle schemes to secure office and destroy each other become as
incomprehensible and fathomless as those of the fallen angels in
Milton's vision of the bottomless pit.

508. The War of the Spanish Succession, 1702.

Anne had no sooner come to the throne than war broke out with France.
It had its origin in the previous reign. William III had cared little
for England compared with his native Holland, whose interests always
had the first place in his heart. He had spent his life battling to
preserve the independence of the Dutch republic and fighting Louis XIV
of France, who was determined, if possible, to annex the Netherlands,
including Holland, to his own dominions (S502).

During the latter part of William's reign the French King seemed
likely to be able to accomplish his purpose. The King of Spain, who
had no children, was in feeble health, and at his death it was
probable that Louis XIV's grandson, Philip of Anjou, would receive the
crown. If that happened, Louis XIV, who was then the most powerful
prince in Europe, would obtain the control of the Spanish dominions,
which, besides Spain, comprise a large part of the Netherlands,[1]
parts of Italy, and immense provinces in South America. The
possession of such an empire would make Louis irresistible in Europe,
and the little, free Protestant states of Holland could not hope to
stand before him.

[1] The whole of the Netherlands at