‘The Copper Horse’, an equestrian statue of King George III of the United Kingdom (r. 1760-1820) by Richard Westmacott, erected in 1824-30 in Windsor Great Park. The King wears ancient Roman robes with a laurel wreath, the Roman crown of victory, on his head; and the monument bears the Latin inscription GEORGIO TERTIO / PATRI OPTIMO / GEORGIUS REX, meaning ‘To George III, best of fathers, [by] King George [IV]. The fascination with the Roman Empire, noticed already by Voltaire a century before, was only getting stronger as the British Empire approached its zenith.
Introduction
François-Marie Arouet (1694-1778) spent the years 1726 to 1729 in England. In 1733, he published a series of essays under the name ‘Voltaire’ sharing his observations on English life, chiefly on matters of religion and politics. He had noticed that English people often tried to compare their country with ancient Rome, which he thought rather absurd, especially as in one respect England was much better.
BUT here follows a more essential difference between Rome and England, which gives the advantage entirely to the latter — viz., that the civil wars of Rome ended in slavery, and those of the English in liberty. The English are the only people upon earth who have been able to prescribe limits to the power of kings by resisting them; and who, by a series of struggles, have at last established that wise Government where the Prince is all-powerful to do good, and, at the same time, is restrained from committing evil; where the nobles are great without insolence, though there are no vassals; and where the people share in the Government without confusion.*
The House of Lords and that of the Commons divide the legislative power under the king, but the Romans had no such balance. The patricians and plebeians in Rome were perpetually at variance, and there was no intermediate power to reconcile them. The Roman senate, who were so unjustly, so criminally proud as not to suffer the plebeians to share with them in anything, could find no other artifice to keep the latter out of the administration than by employing them in foreign wars.
* An assessment that would have warmed the heart of George Canning: see The Spectatress.
Précis
After some years in England, French essayist Voltaire declared England to be superior to the Roman Empire, because unlike the Romans the English had managed to establish a balanced form of government: the Crown was unable to do much harm, nobles had status but little power, and the public were free to do more than just fight in the army. (60 / 60 words)
After some years in England, French essayist Voltaire declared England to be superior to the Roman Empire, because unlike the Romans the English had managed to establish a balanced form of government: the Crown was unable to do much harm, nobles had status but little power, and the public were free to do more than just fight in the army.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, despite, may, must, otherwise, unless, who.
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