(the other) Lorrain, by no other Tenure than that of the Obfervance of this Treaty. But though France made no Scruple to declare, that she would ftrictly fulfil her Engagements with Regard to the Pragmatic Sanction; and that he would keep clear of every Thing, that fhould reftrain the free Choice of a new Emperor, and though the King of Pruffia gave the strongest Affurances, that he would fupport it to the utmost of his Power; yet it was eafy to fee, that these Engagements would meet with no Regard, and that these Declarations were defigned only to amufe and deceive.

The Elector of Bavaria begun by refufing to acknowIedge the Rights of the Queen of Hungary, and afferting a Claim to her Dominions.-In December following, to the Amazement of all Europe, the King of Pruffia fell into the Queens's hereditary Countries, and entered Silefia with an Ar my of 40,000 Men.-In the fucceeding Spring, the French marched a great Army into Germany, and joined the Bavarians; they alfo fent another great Body of Forces into Weftphalia upon the Confines of the Electorate of Hanover -The Elector of Saxony likewife marched an Army into Bohemia.Sweden, by the Intrigues of France, declared War against the Ruffians: By which, and by the treafonable Practices, which the fomented there, that Empire became incapable to affift the Houfe of Austria. The King of Naples, with a great Body of his own Forces, in Conjunction with a formidable Army of Spaniards, both Horfe and Foot, which again were permitted by the Minifter to embark, and land unmolefted by our Squadrons, was prepared to attack her Italian Dominions :-And by the Influence of France, the Elector of Bavaria was chofen Emperor.Upper Auftria was already, before the End of that Year, overrun; Bohemia and the greater Part of Silefia loft; another Spanish Army marching towards Savoy; the King of Sardinia (from his dangerous Situation, and other Circumftances) much suspected; the Electorate of Hanover unavoidably compelled by fuperior Force to a Neutrality; the Dutch intimidated by the fame Force; Denmark, encouraged by France, and wholly occupied to make its Advantage of the Troubles in the North; and Great Britain exafperated to the utmoft Verge of Patience, upon the very Brink of domeftick Confufion, ftill directed by the fame Minister, who from this Situation of Affairs, and from the Temper of the People, naturally refulting from it, was wholly incapacited from affording any material Affiftance to the Queen of Hungary, and fill perfevered to demonftrate, even in this laft Crifis, by his Conduct of the Spanish War, and by his Permiffion of the Spanish Embarkations, that his Inclinations were as foreign as

his

his Abilities to a vigorous Exertion of the Power of this Nation, at a Time, when Councils, even defperately violent, seemed the only Poffibility, under Heaven, to preferve us and Europe from Destruction.---Even yet, incorrigibly bent upon inconfiftent Schemes of Negociation, he turned his Thoughts to a Project of more Temerity and Indifcretion than ever he had hitherto projected, and attempted to form an Alliance to difmember Pruffia; which render'd it a Thing almost impoffible to bring him afterwards into a moderate Temper, or to effect a fincere Reconciliation with him.---Thus overwhelmed on every Side; Great Armies of French, Bavarians, Pruffians and Saxons within a few Days March of Vienna; and no Part of her Territories unmolefted, but the remote Dominions of Hungary; and thofe States, that bordered on the Turk, in daily Expectation of being attacked likewife from that Quarter, the 'unhappy Queen of Hungary was thrown, for her only Refource, upon à People, who, till this Time, had never afforded any Affiftance to their Sovereign; but had, on the contrary, taken all Occafions to rebel and join a foreign Power. Her veteran Troops all deftroy'd in the late War against the Turk; the Fountains of Supply from her richest Countries, then in the Poffeffion of her Enemies, wholly turned against her.---This was the Condition to which the only Power, that could maintain the Balance, and without which no rational Man can think, that this Nation can long fubfift without becoming a Province to France, was brought by this determined Suite of the preventive and defenfive Meafures of the British Minister.

Such was the State of our Affairs, when the prefent Parlia ment begun its firft Seffions upon the first of December, 1741. I might expatiate here, to aggravate the wretched Condition to which this Country was reduced; but I am far from meaning to reprefent this Conduct, in the worst Light that it might bear My View is very different.---Exafperated as the People are already, he that attempts to encrease the Flame, deserves to perish in it.---Would to God it were forgiven, upon Condition that it could be forgot; but it cannot be forgot, nor will, for this Reason, ever be forgiven: My Meaning therefore neither is to attempt the one nor the other.-But my Endeavour is to divert the Publick from that mad Refentment, which muft complete their Ruin.-I fhall fhortly come to fhew, how far already this Refentment has mifled them.-How, deviating from the only Principle, that can warrant Punishment, they wound their Country and themfelves in the Extravagance of Paffion.---The Purfuit of Punishment, when no good End can poffibly be answered by it, is Revenge; Revenge with Nations,

as well as with private Men, is in itself deteftable; and, in its Confequences, fatal. Let Sweden be the Mirror to reflect the Face of this Nation: We have lately feen that brave, that free People, pushing violently towards their own Destruction with a Strange Similitude of Fate.-Firft, by ruinous Measures brought into deplorable Circumftances; then pursuing fanguinary Vengeance on their Minifters; Minifters, from the Paffion of the Time, neither fafe to be given up, nor to be faved; tearing every Fence of Government and Conftitution down, to reach the Object of their Hatred; artfully led on, under this Pretence, to abufe their Liberty with a dangerous Licenfe; taught to think themselves entitled, because they met with Obftruction in this View, to invade the Privileges of all the other Parts of their Legislature; yet all this Time ftupidly forfetful of the very Caufe, for which alone they ought in fuftice to have condemn'd the Conduct of thofe Minifters, or to have been thus enraged, emharraffing their Government, labouring to plunge it till deeper into the fame Evil, by endeavouring to perfevere in the fame Foreign Measures, and to prevent their wifest and most honeft Men from availing themselves of the most fortunate Opportunities to preferve the Nation, and to retrieve paft Errors; till, at length, from the Excess of popular Power, the Weakness of their Government, the Want of Virtue in Particulars to refift the Temptation of falfe Popularity, the Want of Courage to withstand a factious Calumny, and the fecret Intrigues of a Foreign Court, invifible to themselves, tho' glaring to the whole World befides, they were encouraged to attempt direct Rebellion, in Favour of a Pretender, whofe Advancement to the Throne was morally certain to have fixed the Chains of Arbitrary Power, for ever on their Country.

After this, fome may poffibly demand, Why then have you recalled to publick View, thefe former Errors of the Minifter? As I am fure I have done it with Integrity, fo I am deceiv'd if I have not done it with folid Reafon.--- The Sore, that rankles, must be opened and deeply probed : The Man, who would, in this Disorder of the Publick, ferve his Country, cannot hope to do it by concealing Faults.---To deny notorious Truths, is an Attempt to impofe upon Mankind, too grofs to be borne; the Nation is honest, though it is deceived, and will listen to no Arguments, that are obviously mean, ungenerous, dishonest, or uncandid.---Not to acknowledge what I have done in the preceding Pages, would be to accufe the People of unjust Refentment during a Space of 20 Years :-And, as in the present Conjuncture, I think it my Duty to accuse them of unjust Refcntments, and to convince them that they are juftly accufed; by a contrary Conduct, I could not fail to provoke, inftead of

healing

healing Animofities; to lay a Foundation of Prejudice, which no Solidity of Reafon could be able to remove; and infallibly defeat the honest Intention, which alone has led me to give the Publick and myself the Trouble of this Difcourfe.

It was likewife neceffary to do this for another very important End, to give the Clue to the true Source of our Misfortunes, and to the Origin of the late Oppofition; which can be the only Means, either to moderate the Rage of the Publick, to remove their Prejudices, to diftinguifh their Friends, to direct them to the Knowledge of their Enemies, to preferve their juft Attachment to their Prince, or to maintain the Conftitution of their Country.

For when the People mistake the Caufe, their Conclufions must be false and dangerous---their Opinion of those, who fee more clearly, and act the beft for their Interefts, eafily abufed--they are liable from falfe Causes affigned by wicked and artful Men, to think defperately of Government, and to feek for Remedies not adapted to the Disease, and of so violent a Nature, as to tear the Body Politick to Pieces.

And that this has been the Cafe, will become very manifeft upon a due Confideration of this Deduction of our Affairs during the late Adminiftration---the People not confidering well the Spring of this unhappy Train of Conduct, have been falfely and infamously taught, that it took its Rife from the Treachery of the Minifter, and from a low and private Prejudice in the Prince to his Foreign Dominions, abetted by a Band of corrupt Mercenaries, and fupported by the Defects of a Constitution, which gives too much Power to the Crown-None of which is true.

It was the Embarraffment of our Affairs, first, by the Peace of Utrecht, and fince, by a timid, obftinate and indeed felfish Character in the Minister.-It was the unavoidable Confequences of the Treaty of Hanover, which was made before his Majesty's Acceffion to the Throne, but for which he was therefore not answerable, and which it was afterwards infinitely difficult to redress. -It was a Chain of fatal Circumstances, neither derived from a greater Degree of Corruption than will be found in any opulent State upon Earth, nor from any Defects, but what (or worse) are found in the pureft Conftitution under Heaven: All which will more fully appear by the following Deduction.

But to return---In this Crifis of Affairs, Ruin abroad appeared almoft impoffible, highly improbable to prevent,---the Nation at home in fuch a Ferment, that nothing but Confufion was by every rational Man expected.---To avert either, it was obvious that the Minister must be removed, the Publick neither

would

would, nor could have engaged in thofe expensive Undertakings which were our only Refource, under the Conduct of such a Man. But how to effect this Change was the great Labour.There is Reason to believe, that his Majefty was as much convinced of the Neceflity of a Change, as the Minifter was convinced that it was high time to prepare for it.-It was even certain, that the best Men in the Oppofition began to fear greatly the Effects of the Spirit they had raised, however neceflary, however juft it had been to raife it; but the greatest Danger of all was to have defifted in that Conjuncture. Thus even they who were moft fenfible of the dangerous Ferment, were by Neceffity compelled to raise it ftill higher to prevent its fatal Effect.--Oppofition was redoubled with a Degree of Fury, which nothing but this Circumftance could warrant.---The Dilemma was great on all Sides-the more the Minifter was preffed, the more difficult and dangerous it was both for him and for the Publick to give way-and had he been difinterested enough to have refigned his Power in the Manner fome would have advised it, to speak honestly, there was Hazard not only to his own Perfon, but to the Interest of his Mafter, and the Constitution of his Country. It was dangerous to depend upon the Moderation of a Party fo combined as it now appeared to be, and heated with fo unavoidable a Fury. On the other hand, it was impoffible for the honeft Men, embarked against him, to have defifted either.Matters had been driven too far to rely upon the Prudence of their Antagonist, and they had too many Examples to venture to truft that even this Danger could have reclaimed his indomptable Spirit of Peace. It was equally unfafe, both for the Publick and themselves to have rifqued the double Danger of their Enemies, and the Refentment of their Friends -If by fuchan indifcreet Retreat, they had much weakened their Party, they could not have had fufficient Affurance, that the Minifter would have made that juft and wife Ufe of it, which could have been their only Inducement for fo difinterested a Measure.-He might have employed this Acceffion of Strength, to have confirmed himself in his imprudent Politicks, to have ruined Liberty, under the Pretence of destroying Faction, and have taken this Opportunity to have wreaked his private Revenge. Again, if this Conduct should have had a different Effect, and not much weakened the Party they left, it must have ferved only, to precipitate the Views of bad Men, and left the Nation diftracted and mad under the Lead and Direction of the worst and moft dangerous Perfons in the Kingdom.-Upon the whole, it was neither in the Power of the one to retire, nor of the other to defift.

Moft