hance of his recovery out of
reasonable consideration, and the Sacrament was administered to him by
the Archbishop of Canterbury. One of the King's last utterances may be
set down as in the best sense characteristic--it illustrated, that is to
say, the best side of his character. "Believe me," were the words of the
dying King, "that I have always been a religious man." It may be
admitted, in justice to William, that according to his generally dull and
often confused and hazy lights he did always recognize the standard,
higher than that of mere expediency, or political compromise, or personal
convenience, set up to regulate the conduct even of princes.

The reign came to an end on June 30, 1837. Shortly after two o'clock
that morning King William passed away. He died calmly and without a
struggle. The closing hours of his life had a resignation and a dignity
about them which might well have fitted the end of one whose whole
career, public and private, had been more dignified and more noble than
that of the poor, eccentric, restless, illiterate personage who succeeded
the last of the Georges on the throne of England. It must be owned that,
whatever the personal defects and disadvantages of the sovereign, the
reign of King William the Fourth had been more beneficent in politics
than that of any of his predecessors since the days of Queen Anne. For
the first time in the modern history of England the voice of the people
had been authorized by legislation to have some influence over the
direction of national affairs. The passing of the great Reform measure,
and the rush of other reforms which followed it, opened the way for a new
system of {294} administration, the beneficial effects of which in the
political and social life of the empire have been expanding ever since.
With the reign of William the Fourth the principle of personal rule, or
rule by the mere decree and will of the sovereign, came to an end. If
the reign is to be judged by the work it accomplished, it cannot but be
set down in history as a great reign. Perhaps there were few men in
England of whatever class, high or low, who had less of the quality of
personal greatness than William the Fourth. He had greatness thrust upon
him by the mere fact that fate would have him King. He contributed
nothing towards the accomplishment of the many important works which are
the best monuments of his reign, except by the negative merit of having
at least not done