In his sentiments and politics George II. was as much a German as his father, and he persevered throughout his reign in the same system of interference In the affairs of the continent, professedly with the object of maintaining the balance of power, but really with an especial view to the preservation of the hereditary possessions of his family. Though his Hanoverian partialities however occasioned con siderable outcry when the wars in which the country was engaged were unfortunate, all this was forgotten in the splendid successes which at the close of his reign crowned the British arms both by sea and land, and at the moment of his death George II. perhaps enjoyed more popularity than any prince that had for a long period sat on the English throne. Both morally and intellectually his character aeeme to have very much resembled that of his father ; he is said to have been somewhat passionate, but open, straightforward, and placable, though apt to entertain antipathies of considerable obstinacy, as well as steady in hia attachment to those who had once attracted his regard. The only study to which he had any partiality was the art of war, in which ho conceived himself to be a great adept. His queen Caroline was a woman of considerable strength of character as well as of cultivated mind, and as long as she lived she exercised great influence over her husband. There was a succession of royal mis tresses however in this reign, as well as in the preceding. When George 1L was prince of Wales he fell or professed to fall violently in love with the reigning beauty of the day, Mary, daughter of John, lord Bellenden, who was one of the princess's maids of honour; sho however rejected his proposals, and married Colonel Campbell, one of the grooms of his bedchamber, who many years after became Duke of Argyll. On this the prince attached himaelf to Mrs. Howard, who succeeded to her place in the household of his wife, and she long con tinued to hold notoriously the situation of tho king's first female favourite, though her influence, it is said, was never equal to that of the queen. Another of the king's mistresses was Amelia Sophia de Wahnoden, who in 1740 was created countess of Yarmouth for life the last instance of this scandalous abuse of the royal prerogative, and prostitution of the honours of the state.
Of the masa of legislation added to the Statue-book during this reign no very large portion retaine any importance at the present day. Among the measures most deserving of notice may be mentioned, the Act 4 Geo. II., c. 26, ordering that all proceedings in courts of justice
in England, and in the Court of Exchequer in Scotland, should be in the English language (two years afterwards extended to Wales); the 8 Geo. II , c. 6, establishing a Registry of Conveyances, Wills, etc., in the North Riding of Yorkshire; the 8 Geo. II., c. 13, which established a copyright in engravings; the 9 Geo. H., c. 5, repealing the old statutes against witchcraft ; the 10 Geo. IL, c. 28, prohibiting the acting of any new stage play without permission of the lord chamber lain (this was occasioned by some theatrical ridicule directed against Walpole); the 18 Geo. IL, c. 15, separating the surgeons of London from the barbers; the 19 Geo. II., c. 39, entitled an Act for the more effectual disarming of the Highlands in Scotland, and for restraining the use of the Highland dress, &a ; the 20 Geo. II., c. 30, allowing persons impeached of high treason to make their full defence by counsel; the 20 Geo. IL, c. 43, abolishing heritable jurisdictions in Scotland ; the 20 Geo. II., c. 50, taking away the tenure of Ward holding in Scotland, and converting it into Blanch- and Feu-holdings; the 24 Geo. II., c. 23, establishing the use of the New Style; the 26 Goo. IL, c. 2, for purehaalng the museum of Sir Hans Sloane and the Harleian manuscripts, the foundation of the British Museum; the 26 Geo. IL, c. 26, being an act permitting Jews to be naturalised by parliament without taking the sacrament, which however was repealed the following year; and the 26 Geo. IL, c. 33, commonly called the Marriage Act.
The national debt was considerably more than doubled in the course of this reign; its amount at the conclusion of the Seven Years War, in 1763, was nearly 139,000,000/., paying an interest of above 4,850,0001. The annual parliamentary grants, which at the beginning of the reign usually amounted to about three millions, or three millions and a half, rose at its close to twelve, fifteen, and at last to nineteen millions. The country nevertheless undoubtedly made great yrogress in wealth and general improvement during the reign of George IL Commerce and manufactures were greatly extended ; both the useful arta and those that embellish life found a demand and encouragement that was constantly increasing ; and various branches both of literature and science were cultivated with consider able ardour and success.