233 
EXPANSION OF ENGLAND. 
[lect. 
of historical development, began to form itself long before 
the second phase was over. In this third phase the 
English world-empire has two gigantic neighbours in the 
West and in the East. In the West she has the United 
States and in the East Russia for a neighbour. 
These are the two States which I have cited as 
examples of the modern tendency towards enormous 
political aggregations, such as would have been impossible 
but for the modern inventions which diminish the diffi 
culties caused by time and space. Both are continuous 
land-powers. Between them, equally vast but not con 
tinuous, with the ocean flowing through it in every 
direction, lies, like a world-Venice, with the sea for streets, 
Greater Britain. 
This third phase may in a sense be said to have begun 
with the American Revolution, but it is more just to 
consider it as dating only from about the thirties of the 
present century. For the great destiny that was reserved 
for the United States did not become manifest till long 
after its independence was established. That great 
emigration from Europe which is the cause of its rapid 
progress, did not begin till after the peace of 1815, and in 
the twenties again its importance in the world was vastly 
increased by the South American Revolution and the 
establishment of republican government in Spanish 
America, an event which placed the United States in a 
lofty position of primacy on the American Continent. 
Now it was about the same time that the great extension 
of Russia in the East took place. The moment when we 
began to feel keenly the rivalry of Russia in the East is 
very plainly marked on the history of British India. It 
was in 1830 that Russia in her progress touched the 
Jaxartes, and soon after she reduced Persia to a condition