CHAPTER I

OLD ENGLISH POLITY

ENGLAND has taken the lead in solving the problem of constitutional government; of government, that is, with authority, but limited by law, controlled by opinion, and respecting personal right and freedom. This she has done for the world, and herein lies the world's chief interest in her history. She has also had to deal with great problems of her own; among them that of national unity, the long postponement of which is indicated by the present lack of any common name except that of the United Kingdom for the realm, and of any common name for the people. Ultimately she became the centre of a maritime empire, consisting partly of colonies, partly of dependencies, and had imperial problems of both classes with which to deal.

The scene of this political drama is in two large islands off the coast of Europe, near enough to the continent to form a part of the European system, while they are in a measure independent of it, so that their people long preserved an insular character and history. The channel between Dover and Calais has largely exempted England from European dominations and revolutions; from the Empire of Charlemagne, of Philip II., of Louis XIV., of Napoleon, in some measure from that of the papacy, and on the other hand from the French Revolution. It has