in what condition muft they have been, if that iffue of wealth had been ftopped?

But great events often turn upon very small circumftances. It was the kingdom's misfortune, that the fea was not the Duke of Marlborough's element; otherwise, the whole force of the war would infallibly have been beftowed there, infinitely to the advantage of his country, which would then have gone hand in hand with his own. But, it is very truly objected, that if we alone had made fuch an attempt as this, Holland would have been jealous; or, if we had done it in conjunction with Holland, the house of Auftria would have been difcontented. This hath been the style of late years; which, whoever introduced among us, they have taught our allies to speak after them. Otherwife, it could hardly enter into any imagination, that, while we were confederates in a war with those who are to have the whole profit, and who leave a double fhare of the burthen upon us, we dare not think of any design (although against the common enemy) where there is the leaft prospect of doing good to our own country, for fear of giving umbrage and offence to our allies; while we are ruining ourfelves, to conquer provinces and kingdoms for them. I therefore confefs, with fhame, that this objection is true: for, it is very well known, that, while the defign of Mr. Hill's expedition* remained

The expedition in 1711, wherein Sir Hovenden Walker commanded the fleet, and Mr. Hill the land forces, for the reduction of Quebec and Canada, and regaining the Newfoundland fishery, which the French had taken from us. Hawkef.

remained a fecret, it was fufpected, in Holland and Germany, to be intended against Peru; whereupon, the Dutch made every-where their public complaints; and the minifters at Vienna talked of it as an infolence in the Queen, to attempt fuch an undertaking; which, although it has failed, partly by the accidents of a storm, and partly by the stubbornnefs or treachery of some in that colony, for whofe relief, and at whofe entreaty, it was, in fome meafure, defigned, is no objection at all to an enterprife fo well concerted, and with fuch fair probability of success.

It was fomething fingular, that the States fhould express their uneafinefs, when they thought we intended to make fome attempt in the Spanish Weft Indies; because it is agreed between us, that whatever is conquered there by us or them, shall belong to the conqueror; which is the only article that I can call to mind, in all our treaties or ftipulations, with any view of interest to this kingdom; and, for that very reafon, I fuppose, among others, hath been altogether neglected. Let thofe, who think this too fevere a reflection, examine the whole management of the prefent war by fea and land, with all our alliances, treaties, ftipulations, and conventions, and confider whether the whole doth not look, as if some particular care and industry had been used to prevent any benefit or advantage that might poffibly accrue to Britain.

This kind of treatment from our two principal allies, hath taught the fame dialect to all the reft;

fo

fo that there is not a petty prince, whom we half maintain by fubfidies and penfions, who is not ready, upon every occafion, to threaten us, that be will recal his troops (although they must rob or ftarve at home) if we refufe to comply with him in any demand, however unreasonable.

Upon the third head, I fhall produce fome instances, to fhew, how tamely we have fuffered each of our allies to infringe every article in those treaties and ftipulations, by which they were bound; and to lay the load upon us.

But before I enter upon this, which is a large subject, I shall take leave to offer a few remarks on certain articles in three of our treaties; which may let us perceive, how much thofe minifters valued or understood the true intereft, fafety, or honour of their country.

We have made two alliances with Portugal, an offenfive and a defenfive: the first is to remain in force, only during the prefent war; the fecond to be perpetual. In the offenfive alliance, the Emperor, England, and Holland, are parties with Portugal; in the defenfive, only we and the States.

Upon the first article of the offensive alliance, it is to be obferved, that although the grand alliance, as I have already faid, allows England and Holland to poffefs, for their own, whatever each of them fhall conquer in the Spanish West Indies; yet there we are quite cut out, by confenting, that the Archduke fhall poffefs the dominions of Spain, in as full a manner as their VOL. II. Ii late

late K. Charles. And, what is more remarkable, we broke this very article in favour of Portugal, by fubfequent ftipulations; where we agree, that K. Charles fhall deliver up Eftramadura, Vigo, and fome other places to the Portuguese, as soon as we can conquer them from the enemy. They, who are guilty of fo much folly and contradiction, know beft, whether it proceeded from corruption or ftupidity.

By two other articles (befides the honour of being convoys and guards in ordinary to the Portuguese ships and coafts) we are to guess the enemy's thoughts, and to take the king of Portugal's word, whenever he hath a fancy that he shall be invaded. We are alfo to furnish him with a ftrength fuperior to what the enemy intends to invade any of his dominions with, let that be what it will. And until we know what the enemy's forces are, his Portuguese Majefty is fole judge what ftrength is fuperior, and what will be able to prevent an invasion; and may send our fleets, whenever he pleases, upon his errands, to fome of the farther parts of the world, or keep them attending upon his own coafts, till he thinks fit to difmifs them. These fleets must likewife be subject in all things, not only to the king, but to his viceroys, admirals, and governors, in any of his foreign dominions, when he is in an humour to apprehend an invasion; which, I believe, is an indignity that was never offered before, except to a conquered nation.

In the defenfive alliance with that crown,

which is to remain perpetual, and where only England and Holland are parties with them, the fame care, in almost the fame words, is taken for our fleet to attend their coafts and foreign dominions, and to be under the fame obedience. We and the States are likewife to furnish them with twelve thousand men at our own charge, which we are conftantly to recruit; and thefe are to be fubject to the Portuguese generals.

In the offenfive alliance, we took no care of having the assistance of Portugal, whenever we should be invaded: but in this, it feems, we are wifer; for that King is obliged to make war on Fiance or Spain, whenever we or Holland are invaded by either; but before this, we are to supply him with the fame forces both by fea and land, as if he were invaded himself. And this must needs be a very prudent and safe course for a maritime power to take upon a fudden invafion; by which, instead of making use of our fleets and arms for our own defence, we muft fend them abroad, for the defence of Portugal.

By the thirteenth article, we are told, what this affiftance is, which the Portuguese are to give us, and upon what conditions. They are to furnish, ten men of war: and when England and Holland fhall be invaded by France and Spain together, or by Spain alone, in either of these cafes, these ten Portuguese men of war are to ferve only upon their own coafts; where, no doubt, they will be of mighty use to their allies, and terror to the enemy.