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20 THE WINTER TROUBLES. CHAP, persed over LondoQ at the outbreak of the war, L^. there were some found enjoying the bliss of being almost independent, because during many a year they had been left altogether ungoverned by a ^Minister really chief over all. If the endeavour to keep our army apart from the governance of responsible ' Ministers ' had achieved full success, the polity of this country must have crystallised into a monarchy after some Continental model, and in that case, of course — whatever the fate of our liberties — there might have been constructed a highly efficient War Department ; but, being only half won, the Court victory brought about and pro- longed that dismemberment of our military ad- ministration for which we have had to account. The ' personal king ' (in late times) having never been suffered to handle a complete War Depart- ment himself, was yet always unhappily strong enough to prevent the genuine ' State king ' from having one in his stead ; and tlius, owing to wliat yet survived of the old contention between Courtiers and Parliamentarians, between Divine Eight and Liberty, England, falling between the two stools, was left to toil on as best she could without the great engine required for an efficient administration of war. III. The instrument by which George III. and his successors kept a pei'sonal grasp on our army was one called the ' Staff" at Headq^uarters/ but