for it enabled justices of the peace to spite any of their poorer
neighbors against whom they had a grudge, and to ship them off to
share in the hardships of Marlborough's campaign in Germany and
the Low Countries, or in the expedition now preparing for Spain.

At that time the army was held in the greatest dislike by the
English people. The nation had always been opposed to a standing
force, and it was only now that the necessities of the country
induced them to tolerate it. It was, however, recruited almost
entirely from reckless and desperate men. Criminals were allowed
to commute sentences of imprisonment for service in the army, and
the gates of the prisons were also opened to insolvent debtors
consenting to enlist. But all the efforts of the recruiting sergeants,
aided by such measures as these, proved insufficient to attract
a sufficient number of men to keep up the armies at the required
strength.

Pressing had always existed to a certain extent; but it had been
carried on secretly, and was regarded as illegal. Therefore, as
men must be had, the law giving justices the authority and power
to impress any men they might select, with the exception of those
who possessed a vote for members of parliament, was passed with
the approval of parties on both sides of the House of Commons.

There was indeed great need for men. England had allied herself with
Austria and Holland in opposition to France, the subject of dispute
being the succession to the crown of Spain, England's feelings in
the matter being further imbittered by the recognition by Louis
XIV of the Pretender as King of England. Therefore, although her
interests were not so deeply engaged in the question as to the