may

The like be affirmed even of that unnatural rebellion against King Charles I. The ufurpers maintained great armies in conftant pay, had almost continual war with Spain and Holland; but, managing it by their fleets, they increased very much the riches of the kingdom, instead of exhaufting them.

Our foreign wars were generally against Scotland or France; the first being in this island, carried no money out of the kingdom, and were feldom of long continuance. During our first wars with France, we poffeffed great dominions, in that country, where we preferved fome footing till the reign of Queen Mary; and although fome of our later princes made very chargeable expeditions thither, a fubfidy, and two or three fifteenths, cleared all the debt. Befides, our victories were then of some ufe, as well as glory; for we were fo prudent to fight, and fo happy to conquer, only for ourselves.

The Dutch wars, in the reign of K. Charles II. although begun and carried on under a very corrupt administration, and much to the dishonour of the crown, did indeed keep the King needy and poor, by difcontinuing or difcontenting his parliament, when he moft needed their affiftance; but neither left any debt upon the nation, nor carried any money out of it.

At the revolution, a general war broke out in Europe, wherein many princes joined in alliance against France, to check the ambitious defigns of that monarch; and here, the Emperor, the Dutch,

Gg 2

and

and England, were principals. About this time, the custom firft began among us, of borrowing millions upon funds of intereft. It was pretended, that the war could not poffibly last above one or two campaigns; and that the debts contracted, might be easily paid in a few years, by a gentle tax, without burthening the fubject. But the true reafon for embracing this expedient, was, the fecurity of a new prince not firmly fettled on the throne. People were tempted to lend, by great premiums and large intereft; and it concerned them nearly to preserve that government, which they had trufted with their money. The perfon* faid to have been author of fo deteftable a project, lived to fee fome of its fatal consequences, whereof his grand-children will not fee an end. And this pernicious council closed very well with the posture of affairs at that time: for a fet of upftarts, who had little or no part in the revolution, but valued themselves upon their noife and pretended zeal, when the work was over, were got into credit at court, by the merit of becoming undertakers and projectors of loans and funds: thefe, finding that the gentlemen of eftates were not willing to come into their measures, fell upon those new schemes, of raising money, in order to create a moneyed intereft, that might in time vie with the landed, and of which they hoped to be at the head.

for ten years after

The ground of the first war, for ten the revolution, as to the part we had in it, was, to

* Dr. Burnet, bishop of Sarum.

make

make France acknowlege the late king, and recover Hudson's bay. But during that whole war, the fea was almost entirely neglected, and the greatest part of fix millions annually employed to enlarge the frontier of the Dutch. For the king was a general, but not an admiral; and, although: King of England, was a native of Holland.

After ten years fighting to little purpose, after the lofs of above an hundred thousand men, and a debt remaining of twenty millions, we at length hearkened to the terms of peace, which was concluded with great advantages to the Em-pire and Holland, but none at all to us; and clogged foon after with the famous treaty of par- tition, by which Naples, Sicily, and Lorrain, were to be added to the French dominions; or, if that crown fhould think fit to fet afide the treaty, upon the Spaniards refufing to accept it, as they declared they would, to the feveral parties at the very time of tranfa&ting it, then the French would have pretenfions to the whole monarchy. And fo it proved in the event; for the late king of Spain, reckoning it an indignity to have his territories cantoned out into parcels by other princes during his own life, and without his confent, rather chose to bequeath the monarchy entire to a younger fon of France; and this Prince was acknowlegded for king of Spain, both by us and Holland.

It must be granted, that the counfels of entering into this war, were violently oppofed by the church-party, who firft advised the late king to acknowledge the Duke of Anjou; and particularly,

*

it is affirmed, that a certain great perfon, who was then in the church-intereft, told the King, in November 1701, that fince his Majefty was determined to engage in a war fo contrary to his private opinion, he could ferve him no longer, and accordingly gave up his employment; although he happened afterwards to change his mind, when he was to be at the head of the treasury, and have the fole management of affairs at home, while thofe abroad were to be in the hands of one, whofe advantage, by all forts of ties, he was engaged to promote.

The declarations of war against France and Spain, made by us and Holland, are dated within a few days of each other. In that published by the States, they fay very truly, that "they are "nearest and most exposed to the fire; that they "are blocked up on all fides, and actually attacked

by the kings of France and Spain; that their "declaration is the effect of an urging and pref"fing neceffity;" with other expreffions to the fame purpose. They defire the affiftance of all kings and princes, &c. The grounds of their quarrel with France, are fuch as only affect themfelves, or at least more immediately than any other prince or state; fuch as, "the French refu

fing to grant the tariff promised by the treaty "of Ryfwick; the loading the Dutch inhabitants "fettled in France with exceffive duties, contra

ry to the said treaty; the violation of the par"tition treaty, by the French accepting the king

Earl of Godolphin.

† Duke of Marlborough.

" of

"of Spain's will, and threatening the States if "they would not comply; the feizing the Spa"nish Netherlands by the French troops, and "turning out the Dutch, who, by permission of "the late king of Spain, were in garrifon there; 66 by which means, that republic was deprived of "her barrier, contrary to the treaty of partition, " where it was particularly flipulated, that the "Spanish Netherlands fhould be left to the "Archduke." They alledged, that “the French "king governed Flanders as his own, although "under the name of his grandfon, and fent "great numbers of troops thither to fright "them; * that he had seized the city and citadel "of Liege; had poffeffed himself of several pla"ces in the archbishopric of Cologne, and main❝tained troops in the county of Wolfenbuttel, "in order to block up the Dutch on all fides ; ❝ and caused his refident to give in a memorial, "wherein he threatened the States, to act against "them, if they refused complying with the con "tents of that memorial."

The Queen's declaration of war, is grounded upon the grand alliance, as this was upon the unjust ufurpations and encroachments of the French king; whereof the inftances produced, are, "his keeping in poffeffion a great part of the "Spanish dominions, feizing Milan and the Spa"nifh Low-Countries, making himself master of “Cadiz, &c. and, instead of giving fatisfac❝tion

This, the author of John Bull calls, frighting the children aut of their bread and butter. Hawkef.