148

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

XXIV.

what lie thought fit to communicate about the instructionswhich he gave to his own ambassadors and about the con-ferences which lie held with the ambassadors of otherprinces. But, with these important exceptions, the govern-ment was entrusted to what then began to be called theMinistry.

The first English ministry was gradually formed; noris it possible to say quite precisely when it began to exist.But, on the whole, the date from which the era of ministriesmay most properly be reckoned is the day of the meetingof the Parliament after the general election of 1G95. Thatelection had taken place at a time when peril and distresshad called forth all the best qualities of the nation. Thehearts of men were in the struggle against France for in-dependence, for liberty, and for the Protestant religion.Everybody knew that such a struggle could not be carriedon without large establishments and heavy taxes. Thegovernment therefore could hardly ask for more than thecountry was ready to give. A House of Commons waschosen in which the Whig party had a decided preponder-ance. The leaders of that party had recently been raised,one by one, to the highest executive offices. The majority,therefore, readily arranged itself in admirable order underthe ministers, and during three sessions gave them on al-most every occasion a cordial support. The consequencewas that the country was rescued from its dangerous po-sition, and, when that Parliament had lived out its threeyears, enjoyed prosperity after a terrible commercial crisis,