a faction, by deftroying the landed intereft. The nation begins now to think, these blessings are not worth fighting for any longer, and therefore defires a peace. But the advocates on the other fide cry out, that we might have had a better peace, than is now in agitation, above two years ago. Suppofing this to be true, I do affert, that, by parity of reason, we muft expect one just so much the worse, about two years hence. If thofe in power could then have given us a better peace, more is their infamy and guilt, that they did it Why did they infift upon conditions, which they were certain would never be granted? We allow, it was in their power to have put a good end to the war, and left the nation in fome hope of recovering itself. And this is what we charge them with, as anfwerable to God, their country, and pofterity; that the bleeding condition of their fellow-fubjects, was a feather in the balance with their private ends. not. * When we offer to lament the heavy debts and poverty of the nation, it is pleasant to hear fome men answer all that can be faid, by crying up the power of England, the courage of England, the inexhaustible riches of England. I have heard a man very fanguine upon this fubject, with a good employment for life, and a hundred thoufand pounds in the funds, bidding us take coulrage, and warranting, that all would go well. This is the ftyle of men at eafe, who lay heavy burthens upon others, which they would not touch with one of VOL. II. N n *The late Lord Halifax. their their fingers. I have known fome people such ill computers, as to imagine the many millions in flocks and annuities, are fo much real wealth in the nation; whereas, every farthing of it is entirely loft to us, fcattered in Holland, Germany, and Spain; and the landed men, who now pay the intereft, must at last pay the principal. Fourthly, Thofe, who are against any peace without Spain, have, I doubt, been ill informed as to the low condition of France, and the mighty confequences of our fucceffes. As to the first, it must be confeffed, that after the battle of Ramillies, the French were fo difcouraged with their frequent loffes, and so impatient for a peace, that their king was refolved to comply upon any rea.fonable terms. But, when his fubjects were informed of our exorbitant demands, they grew jealous of his honour, and were unanimous to affift him, in continuing the war at any hazard, rather than fubmit. This fully reftored his authority; and the fupplies he hath received from the Spanish West Indies, which in all are computed, fince the war, to amount to four hundred millions of livres, and all in fpecie, have enabled him to pay his troops. Befides, the money is spent in his own country; and he hath fince waged war in the most thrifty manner, by acting on the defenfive; compounding with us every campaign for a town, which cofts us fifty times more than its worth, either as to its value, or the confequences. Then he is at no charge for a fleet, further than providing privateers, wherewith his fubjects carry on a pyratical war at their own ex pence, pence, and he shares in the profit; which hath been very confiderable to France, and of infinite difadvantage to us, not only by the perpetual loffes we have fuffered, to an immenfe value, but by the general difcouragement to trade, on which we fo much depend. All this confidered, with the circumftances of that government, where the prince is mafter of the lives and fortunes of fo mighty a kingdom, fhews that monarch not to be fo funk in his affairs as we have imagined, and have long flattered ourselves with the hopes of. Those who are against any peace without Spain, feem likewise to have been mistaken, in judging our victories, and other fucceffes, to have been of greater confequence than they really were.. When our armies take a town in Flanders, the Dutch are immediately put into poffeffion, and we at home make bonefires. I have fometimes pitied the deluded people, to fee them fquandering away their fuel to fo little purpofe. For example: what is it to us that Bouchain is taken, about which the warlike politicians of the coffee-house make such a clutter? What though the garrifon furrendered prifoners of war, and in fight of the enemy? We are not now in a condition to be fed with points of honour. What advantage have we, but that of spending three or four millions more, to get another town for the States, which may open them a new country for contributions, and encrease the perquifites of the General? In that war of ten years, under the late king, when our commanders and foldiers were raw and unexperienced, Nn 2 unexperienced, in comparison with what they are at present, we loft battles and towns, as well as we gained them of late, fince thofe gentlemen have better learned their trade; yet we bore up then, as the French do now: nor was there any thing decifive in their fucceffes; they grew weary as well as we, and at laft confented to a peace, under which we might have been happy enough, if it had not been followed by that wife treaty of partition, which revived the flame that hath lafted ever fince. I fee nothing else in the modern way of making war, but that the fide, which can hold out longeft, will end it with most advantage. In fuch a close country as Flanders, where it is carried on by fieges, the army that acts offenfively, is at a much greater expence of men and money; and there is hardly a town taken in the common forms, where the befiegers have not the worfe of the bargain. I never yet knew a foldier, who would not affirm, that any town might be taken, if you were content to be at the charge. If you will count upon facrificing fo much blood and treasure, the reft is all a regular, eftablished.method, which cannot fail. When the king of France, in the times of his grandeur, fat down before a town, his generals and engineers would often fix the day when it should furrender: the enemy, fenfible of all this, hath, for fome years paft, avoided a battle, where he hath fo ill fucceeded, and taken a furer way to confume us, by letting our courage evaporate against stones and rubbish, and facrificing a fingle town to a cam paign, which he can fo much better afford to lofe, than we to take. Laftly, Thofe who are fo violently against any peace, without Spain being reftored to the houfe of Auftria, have not, I believe, caft their eye upon a cloud gathering in the north, which we have helped to raife, and may quickly break in a ftorm upon our heads. The northern war hath been on foot almost ever fince our breach with France. The fuccefs of it is various; but one effect to be apprehended was always the fame, that fooner or latter, it would involve us in its confequences; and that, whenever this happened, let our fuccefs be never fo great against France, from that moment France would have the advantage. By our guarantee of the treaty of Travendall, we were obliged to hinder the king of Denmark. from engaging in a war with Sweden. It was at that time underftood by all parties, and fo declared, even by the British ministers, that this engagement specially regarded Denmark's not affifting king Auguftus. But, however, if this had not been fo, yet our obligation to Sweden flood in force, by virtue of former treaties with that crown, which were all revived and confirmed by ca fubfequent one, concluded at the Hague, by Sir Jofeph Williamson, and Monfieur Lilienroot, about the latter end of the King's reign. However, the war in the north proceeded; and our not affifting Sweden, was at least as well excufed by the war which we were entangled in, |