and breadth of England, preaching in the open air to great throngs of colliers, and to the neglected poor among the people, and arousing earnest and deep resolves among them to lead better lives. For a time fierce persecution from the clergy and others opposed to the movement was met with by the preachers; but in the end the value of their great work was recognized, and all classes and Churches reaped the benefit of this remarkable revival. A new and powerful denomination, the ‘‘Methodists,” arose out of John Wesley’s preaching and wonderful power of organization, a denomination which now has its adherents all over the world. Among other important results of this revival was the new interest aroused in moral reforms, and the beginning of earnest efforts to lessen the misery and ignorance of the poor and the oppressed.
12. East India Company.—The war of the Austrian Succession came to an end by the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, when Henry Pelham was Prime Minister. England gained nothing beyond an increase in her national debt, and Maria Theresa lost Silesia to Frederick II. of Prussia.
In 1751, Frederick, Prince of Wales, died, and this left his son, George, as the heir to the throne. In the same year, the time of the nation was put right, by taking eleven days out of the year, the 3rd of September being henceforth counted the 14th. This was owing to the year having been hitherto too long, and this made the clock of the nation too slow. After this the year was made shorter, and no change in the time has since taken place.
And now England was on the eve of wars which were to greatly increase her territory and her influence in Asia and America. In the year 1599 Queen Elizabeth granted a charter to a company to trade in the East Indies. This was the East India Company which gradually founded factories and small trading posts on the coasts of India. In this way Fort St. George, or Madras, was established. Bombay was acquired by the marriage of Charles II. to Katharine of Portugal, and Fort William (now Calcutta) was founded by another English trading company in the reign of William III. In 1702, the two companies united. They kept at each trading post a small body of native soldiers, or sepoys, and they paid rent to the neighbouring native prince or ruler for the land they occupied. These rulers of small districts owed allegiance to a higher ruler, who in turn was supposed to obey the Great Moghul of India.
