The second volume of Tobias Smollett's authoritative history opens immediately after the Glorious Revolution of sixteen eighty-eight, detailing the precarious establishment of William and Mary on the throne. Smollett meticulously examines the complex political landscape, tracing the deep divisions between Whigs and Tories, the rise of the nonjuring clergy, and the persistent threat of Jacobite conspiracies supported by the French crown. The narrative provides a thorough account of the military engagements both at home and abroad, charting the course of the war in Ireland from the dramatic defense of Londonderry to the decisive Battle of the Boyne and the eventual treaty of Limerick. Special attention is given to the broader European theatre, where the Grand Alliance struggled against the ambitions of Louis the Fourteenth through arduous campaigns in Flanders, Germany, and Italy.
Smollett also documents the legislative milestones of the period, including the Toleration Act, the regulation of the national revenue, and the bitter parliamentary disputes over treason trials and standing armies. Throughout the work, the domestic political shifts are interwoven with foreign military maneuvers, illustrating how the internal stability of Great Britain was forged amidst constant external pressure. The volume transitions through the reigns of successive monarchs, capturing the shifting loyalties of the aristocracy and the gradual evolution of parliamentary power. Without resorting to simple moralizing, Smollett presents the concrete details of statecraft, financial innovations like the establishment of the Bank of England, and the recurrent crises that tested the durability of the constitutional settlement. The narrative concludes by setting the stage for the expansive conflicts of the eighteenth century, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of the mechanical forces that shaped modern British governance.
