An enquiry into the reasons of the conduct of Great Britain with relation to the present state of affairs in Europe

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Presented by Dr. T.J. Garrett
in memory of

HELEN K. GARRETT
(22 October 1946 - 3 July 1970)

Formerly on the staff
of Douglas Library

Queen's University Libraries

A N

E N Q U I R Y

INTO THE

REASONS

O F T H E

ConduSioi GreatBritam

With Relation to the

Prefent State of AFFAIRS

1 N

EUROPE.

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L 0 NT> O N

1 A Qr^lr^ Uv T^MFS ROBERTS III ffUT-

Printed, and Sold b^ J ^^^^^/^ v WTL

[Price One Shilling.]

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A N

ENQUIR Y

I NTO THE

REASONS

O 1' THE

Conduct of Great-Biitain, &c

H E whole Face of Aftairs, iri.^?^'
rope is within the Space of the lad.
Year, fo much altered ; that' it. is
almofl: impofRble for the mofi: un-
concerned Spectator to prevent his
Thoughts from running out i/ito Queflions and
Suppofirions about it. Curiofity itfelf, the loweft.
Principle of all our Enquiries, will force its \\^ay'
into fuch a Scene: And will expe£l, or invent,
fomc Account of fo furprizing a C6^//^^ ^ from a
Calm hardly paralleled by any paft Tiofpe^^m
a fudden Gathering of Clouds ; which, if not
Jbon difllpated, mull burll", and dilcharge them-
selves fome where or other.

But when Self-Intereft is joined to this na-
turil Curiofity; and it becomes a /try^;/^/ an4

A 2 ^*

(4)

National Concern, to know the main Gufes and
Springs of fuch Events, as All are inteiefted in ;
there Teems then to be a Right, ftri6ly fo cal-
ledj to demand and receive all the Saasfadion
the Nature of fuch Affairs can permit to be gi-
ven. In a free Nation efpecially, whejeno Rc-
folutions can be effedual without the Confent
and Support of the Community, every Man, who
can think .at all, will think it an injurious Treat-
ment, ii^ at a proper Time, and in i proper
Manner, fom^ Light be not held forth to him ;
and feme fatisfaciory Solution given of fuch
Appearances, as muft otherwifc very much
perplex and difturb him. And one'Thing Go^
pernors themfelves are fure to find, That un-
lefs they fhew fuch a Regard to Thofe who )uft-
ly think they have a Claim to it, this Evil will
come to pafs, that Mankind (always difpofed
enough towards Diffatisfaftion^ either through
a fort of natural Ill-will to Thofe above them,
or through a Wearinefs under the Continuance
of the fame Admintftratmi^ or through an af-
fe£led "PopuLartty^ or real Tatriotifm^not fuifi-
ciently inftru^lied) will take that Side of the
Profpeft to dwell upon/ which will afford them
mofl Matter for Satyr at Home ; and lay all
the Load upon the Conduct of Thofe, in whofe
Time of Tower fuch a Crifis of Political Affairs
appears in the World.

All this was never more true, than in this
Nation, and at this Time. Every Briton who,
either by his Treafure or his Blood, by his
Vote or his' Interefl, by his Perfon or his Re-
pr€fentative,,Jias m Time pafl: bor'n any Part

in

( 5 )

in procurlflg the Common Peace, and eilablifhing
the fcveral Intercfts, of Eitrofe : Every fuch
Member of the Britifh Nation, who, by this
Time flattered himfclf with Hopes of enjoying
the Kefult of all our Toil^ and Taxes, and
Blood, in an Univ^crfal Peace, and an extended

undifturbed Commerce, has a Right to ask,

How comes this Face of Things to be again over-
clouded ? AWEurope once more in Agitation

Three Fleets from Britain fitted out at a great
Expcncc, and with the utmoft Expedition fcnt

to feveral Parts of the World : And, w-hat is

moll unaccountable, the Emperor and Spahty
Powers that could hardly be kept within the
Bounds of Common Decency, towards one ano-
ther, by all the Addrefs of two powerful Medi-
diators in a publick Treaty, abandoning that
Mediation ; and, in the Middle of it, privately
running into one another's Arms, and uniting,
in Dcfigns deftru£live to the Commerce and
Rights of other Nations, with all the Marks
of Cordial AfFeulion and a Refolute Friend-
£hip.

Is notThis, the/w«^ of Spain of thatCoun-

try, which has always felt the Want of the
Friendfhip of Britain^ more than of That of all
other Nations befides ; to fuch a Degree, that it
has palTed into a Troverb throughout the King-
dom, 'Baz con Inglaterra^ con todos otros la
Gtierra : Teace ^juith England, and War '■ji^ith

all the JVorld befides ? of that Conn try,

which reaps more Advantage from the Trade
with' England^ than from That of all its other

Neighbours put together? And, Is not this the

fame

(6)

fame King, wliofe Engagements to the hiterefis
and TojjeJJlQns of Br ham in his Countiy. are as
folemn and ftrong, as the moft exprcfs Treaties

can make them ? The fame, who jiiil: before

the Opening the Congrefs at Cambray^ owned
and ratified them all, by acceding in Form to
the Quadruple Alt'iance ; and accepting, byThat,
the Mediation of Britain and France ?

And above all, if we turn our Eyes to the
Emperor y Is notThis the Trince^ whom we once
bore upon onr Shoulders, out of the Reach of
all his Enemies, and fupported by otir Strength
in the Time of his own greateft Weaknels ? — -
Tiie Trince^ whom our Zeal, and our Fleets,
and our Trcafure, laboured to fix upon the
Throne of Spain^ at a Time when Di^culties
and Dangers furrounded the whole Imperial

Houfe at l^ienna ? And now, Veiled, as wc

always wiflied Him to be, with the High and
AuguH Dignity He enjoys; Is not this the Em-
feror, who may- juilly be faid to owe the Pre-
fervation even ot all his Hereditary Countries,
and of his Imperial Crown irfelf, (if we may
have liberty to fay fo,) to that hazardous and
unequalled March of the Confederate Army in-
to Germany^ and to the happy ConLquences of
it? To that Vi6iory^ in which the Britijhy
*iDutchy Hanoverian^ ^rujjlan^ arid Heffian^
Troops bore fo great a Part ; aiid, in a particu-
lar Manner, to that BritijJj Genera!, who pro-
jected and conduced the tVhoIe? And the

fame Emperor^ who, as He was throughout tha
\d.^ War the chief Obje6l of the Love and good
.Willies of this Nation, fo, at the End of it, was

efta-

(7)

cllabliflied in the Pofleflion of Flanders ; and
owes OJiend itlelf to thofe vidorious Arms,
which had before fuppoited his Perfon, and pre-
ferved the Empire for him ? And all this long
Scene of Service and Toil, entered into and
profecuted by us, We muft own, againft the re-
peated Remonftrances of many^ that We were
haifening apace to make H m a Power too great
and too formidable ; and that we fbould find
in Him at laft, the Enemy we then dreaded only
in another ?

It is natural to every Briton to look back,
and to ask thefe and the like Qaeftions. And
the next Thought which fucceeds^ is almoft as
natural ; That it is hardly to be fuppofed^ that
thefe Powers fhould take fuch Steps without
fomething to juftify them. We can hardly ima-
gine it poflible, That, without fome real and high
Provocation^ the Emperor could throw any the
leaft Indignity upon the Crown of Great Bri^
tain\ or ad any injurious or even hard Part
towards a Nation which had facrificed fo much
Treafub'e and fo much Blood to his Service. And
therefore, we are apt enough to conclude, (and
have Reaibn to do fo, till we find it otherwife)
That fome great Miimanagement on the Part of
Britain ; lomc unjuftifiable Partiality towards
Others ; fome Breach of Faith ; fome Outrage or
other in Politicks, has been committed againft his
ImferialMajefiy: Or^ that fome unpardoaable
Behaviour on our Part, with Regard to his jufl:
Interefts, muft have been the Occafion of a Con-
duft that fo far exceeds the Common Maxims

of

C8)

of Tr'mces and States toward^ one ano-
ther.

And indeed^ I fliall be very free to owHj
If this be the Cafe ; if either lolemn Treaties^
or any Engagements, with the Cottrt oiViennay
have been broke through ; if either Affronts, or,
even Neglefts inconfiftent with the Duty of
a faithful Ally^ have been Part of the ConduflR:
of the prefent Court of Great-Britain towards
his Imperial Majefiy \ former Appearances ought
not to be fpoken of; all paft Obligations ought
to be as nothing in the preient Account ; the
Emperor has a R^ht to guard and ftrengthen
tiimfeif by Treaties contrary^ to his former Trea-
ties, and to a6: the Part He judges befl for
his own Honour and Security: And wc of this
Nation have no Right to tax Hhn^ either with
Ingratitude unprovoked, or with Breach of Faith
without the Appearance of a Juftification ; but
ought to turn all our Zeal againlt Thofe, whofe
Counfels, and whofc Behaviour^ upon this Sup-
pofition, have made fuch a Condutl on his Part,
wife, juft, and neceflary. And th^ fame muft
be acknowledged with Regard to Spain alfo ;
if any fuch Excuje can juftiy be alledged, on
that Side.

We will now, therefore, enquire What has
been the Behaviour of the King and Nation of
Great Britain^ fince hjs prefent Majefty came
to the Throne, towards the Emperour particu'
larly: and, as we pafs, towards cS)^^/;/ alfo. AncJ.
i will put the Account of this into two Teriods.
The Jirji fhall be, from his Majefty's Acccdion
to the Crown, to the Opening the Congrefs at
Cambray : The Second^ frorn the Opening of

that

( 9 )

tiiat Qongrefs to the Signing of the Treaty of
Peace at Vienna between the E-rnperor^n^ Spain,

At the Time ,\ hen his Majefty came to the
Tlirone of Great Britain^ feveral Points of
great Importaniie remained to be adjufted, before
the Teacc of Europe could bs eiteem'd as a
Thing flx'd upon any lalfing and folid'Founda-
tion ; in particular, fome Things very unealy
to x\\Q Emperor^ and others very much dcfircd
by S^ain. In confidei-ationof this^- his Majefty,
after otiier previous Treaties and Conventions,
enterM directly upon thefe neceffary Points,
which were fix^d in the Treaty of London^ J'^^b
11, 1718. entirely to the Emperor's Satisfaction:
who was himfelf a 'Party in chat Treaty^ and
confirmed with his own Hand what his Minif-
ters had before fign'd in his Name. His It a*
lian DominionSj always dear to him^ He juftly
thought not very fecure, without the PofTeflion
of Sicily ; upon which the Preiervation of Na-
fles very much depends. Tliis great and im-
portant Point, the King of Great Britain fix'd,
as a main Article of this Treaty : and engaged,
in Concert with France ^ that, Sardinia being
deliver'd up to the Empcro) by Spain ^ the King
of Sicily fhould accept of that Tiland m lieu
of Sicily^ which He Jliould yield to the Emperor,

On the Part of Spain ^ a Favourite Point was
likcwife fettled. Don Carlos ^ Son to the pre-
fent ^ieeuj was eftabliiliM in. the SacceiHon of
Tnfcanyj Par?na^ and Placentia : And This con-
lented to, by the Emperor^ who alone was ca-
pable of difturbing it ; and efFe6lually guaran-
teed by the Pozi^-ers of Britain and France. I

B will

(10)

will at prefent name no other Particulars, but
thcfe two principal ones. Some other Points,
Circumflances, and Incidents, in order to perfedl
the Peace between the Emferor and Sfaiiij re-
mained to be fettle(} in a Congrefs, under the
Mediation of Britain and France : And this
Mediation made a. Part and an exprefs Article
of this Treaty of LondoUj to which the Empe-
ror long ago, and Sfain afterwards, fet their
Hands, and gave their folemn Confent. The
former of the two Articles now mentioned, viz.
That relating to Sicily^ did not long fubfill in
Words only ; but was foon aQ:ually put in Exe-
cution ; and the Emperor put in PclTeflion of
that Kingdom.

Hitherto, Nothing but Friendflnf appears:
And perhaps, Friendlliip to Excefs. What the
Emperor exceedingly defired, is granted to
Him: And nothing granted to Others^ but
what the Emperor himfelf had previoufly con-
fented to, as a reafonable and fitting Equi-
valent, Neitlier had the King of Spain any
Reafon to complain, when the Succeflion of
^on Carlos in Italy was put in fo fure a Way
of taking place at the Time appointed- So far
indeed, was He from it ; That, before the Open-
ing of the Congrefs^ He himfelf acceded to the
Treaty of London^ and confented to all the
Allotments made in it.

The Congrefs was at length open'd at Cambray^
Jan. 26. N. S. 172 5-4. in order to fettle ail re-
maining Uncertainties, under the Care of the two
mediating Powers, Britain and France, This
will be a Second Teriod ; from this Opeiiing at

Cam-

( I' )

Cambrayj to the Opening of another Scene at
Vienna And throu^i the whole Management
of this Congrefsy the Part the Mediators a6lcd,
was fo imparcial, fo equitable, fo agreeable to
the Treaty of London^ which was the Bafis
of this Congrefs ; that the mofl: folemn Ap-
peal may be made to Both the contefttng T^owers^
Whether any one Step was taken, which could
give any the leaft juii: Ground of Complaint.
No Appeal is, indeed^ negelTary. The Imperial
Court would loud-y have complain'd of any
Condu£i: ; if there had been any towards that
Court which could have deferv'd it. But there
never was any Complaint oF that Sort from
thence: Nor indeed could there have betn any
made, widiout difcovering at the fame Time
that there was nothing to complain of, but the
too great Equity and Juftice obfcrv'd by the Me-
diators between the two contending Powers ; and
their refolutc Adherence to all Treaties \ and
particularly to that of London.^ to "which this
Court itfelf had confented. Nor did Spain make
the leaft Complaint againft the Behaviour of the
mediating Toiz'ers^ through the whole Progrefs
of the Mediation ; but what arole from the con-
ftant Juftice of the Mediators, in keeping with-
in the Bounds of their Duty and Honour, and
their not giving into any new and exorbitant
Demands of that Court.

Thus, therefore, ftands the Cafe. Whilft a
Mediation was happily going on, under the
Sanftion of a folemn Treaty, appointing this
Mediation ; and this Appointment fign'd, and
cenlented to, by thefe contending Cro\Vns j with-

B i out

(12)

out any apparent DifTatisfaQIon, or even the
leaft Pretence for it, a private Treaty is cnter'd
into, carried on, and finilli'd 2xVienna-^ in plain
Contradiction to that Ankle relating to the Me-
diaticn^ by which They had folemnly obliged
themfelves to fettle the Points in Difference,
under the Eye and Influence of Great Britain
and France: And the whole conduced with the
higheft Difrefpeft to the mediating Powers, and
without the leaft feeming Defire of keeping tht
common Meafuresof Decency with them. Con-
fidering, therefore, only the Manner and Cir-
cumftances attending this TranfaCtion between
the Emperor and Spain^ 2.t Vienna-^ as it was
a Violation of an exprefs Article of a former
Treaty fign'd by Themfelves, and an high and
unprovoked Indignity offered to the Mediators ;
thefe were alone enough to ju^ify the Mediators^ in
anypublick Ad of due Refentmentof fuch Ufage.
Bur fo far were They from fbewing any fuch
Refentment ; fo far from making this open Af-
front, the Occafion of an open Rupture ; that,
when the Signing of this Treaty ouas firft, in
Form, notified to the two Courts of Britain
and France ; and . it was declared to be no
other than a "Defenjive one, N^ith Regard only
to the mutual Satisfadicn of the Emperor and
Spain 3 and not contradictory, but perfectly
agreeable, to the Treaty o^ London : So far were
They from improving fuch Ufage into a pubhck
Quarrel, that both at Home, and by their Mini-
fters every where Abroad, They exprefs'd a great
Pleafure that the Two To'-Ji'ers^ whom the Me-
diators at Qambray could not bring even to

Tcrm^

( 13 )

Terms of common Civility towards one ano-
ther, had found the happy Means, without the
Ceremony and Aflillance of any Mediator^ to
get over Diiliculties that had been declared al-
moft infuperable ; and to link themfelves ia the
Bands of Friendfhip, upon Terras, not incon-
fiftent (as it was affirm'd) with the Repo/e of
Europe. This was the great End of the Con-
grefsitfelf: And, if this End were anfwer'd ; the'
Mediating Powers were not follicitous about
the Means ufed in compading it ; but could pals
over the great Difregard fliewn towards Tlicm-
lelves, in Confideration of the folid and com-
mon Good obtained by this Agreement.

But in how decent a Manner foever, the
Courts of Britain and France treated this Af-
fair : Thofe of the Emperor and Spain {aw very
well thatfuch a Step could not but be veryfhock-
ing to the Mediators-^ and ilood in need of the
beit Apology They could make. And very
luckily (as They or their Agents thought) foV
Themfelves, the Behaviour of the Court of
France J in (ending back the Infanta to Spain -^
joined v/ithh's Br itannick Majefty^s not accept-
ing the file 3[ediation at Cambray ; furnillied
them with One as good as They could have willi'd.
And therefore, the Imperial Minifters SitCdmbray,
at London., and at Taris^ were very ready at firll
to put it all upon this ; and to declare that, the
Reafon of this extraordinary Step was, that the
Court of France having affronted his Catholick
Majefty in fo high and fo unpardonable a Man-
ner, that Spain c®uld not m Honour any longer
a£l: with the Moft Chriftian King., as a Media-
tor y

( 14 )

tor ; and the King o^ Great Britain having de-
clined to a£l as file Mediator, when it was pro-
pos'd to. him to do lb by the Croiz-n of Sfain :
This br-ke ofF all Hopts of any EfFed from the
Cong -; i at Camtray ; and left his Catholick Ma-
jejiy notaiag to do, &ut to fly to Vienna ; and,
out Oi' a due Refentment of fo great an Injury,
and the Neceffity of his Affairs, to throw him-
felf entirely upon the Honour and Equity of that
Court : And, more particularly^ that his hnperial
Majefiyy upon Ripperda^ firft Applications,
fhewed a g eat Unwillingnefs to move the A^^-
gociations out of their Courfe at Cambray ; but
at laft prevailed upon himfef, out of Love to
the Tublick Tranquillity^ to confent to the car-
rying them on at Viemtaj after he found it
more and more plain, that the Refentment of
Spain againfl: France^ and hi^ Eritannic-k Ma-
jefly's Refufal of the Sole Mediation^ made it
impoffible to proceed at Cambray.

Such was the Language of the Imperialifis^
upon the firft Notification of the Vienna Treaty^
when they thought it needful to make an Apo-
logy for it. And tho^ it cannot be affirmed
that the Court of Spain did itfelf exprefly of-
fer this, as the firft moving Reafon of that
Piece of Condud ; yet (according to the beft
Accounts from Spain) upon the firft publick
News of the Vienna Treaty at Madrid^ the
Difcourfcs of many were taught to run that
Way, and to dwell upon that fame popular To-
pick. And withgut Doubt it was tliought a very
cunning Part, thus to attribute fuch a Condu(El

tQ

( ly )

to fudden Rage and Paflion; that this might
affbrd ibme Colour for a Treaty m Appearance
fo detrimental to Spain j and a little palliate the
lo'-jv Terms accepted by that Crown ; and by this
means, as they flattered themfelves, remove all
Sufpicion of any pernicious and unjuftifiable Se-
cret b( hind the Curtain, till the due Time came
for revealing it.

But as Fa^is and T>ates are ftubborn Things,
nor to be fhaken by the Sound of Words and plau-
fible Speeches; this itfelf proved themoft unluc-
ky Praence poflible : and only opened a Door to
the bcit-grounded Surpicions,that fomcthing very
bad, too bad to be owned, was at the Bottom
of I'uch a Behaviour.

Tlie Courts oi Great Britian and France were
not io idle Speelators of the Affairs of Europe ^
but that they had long before this the moft evi-
dent Proofs in their PolTeflion, that this Account
of that Tranladion was impoflible to be true.
I'he Refol -ition of the Cotirt of France ^ rela-
ting ro the Infanta J did not come (no, not in
Sutpicion) to Madrid, till March 8. N. iS*. 1724-5-.
Ripperday who conducted the new Treaty^ had
been fent to Vienna above three Months before
that : and even his full Towers for making this
clandeftine Treaty were fign^d N^ov. 22. 1724.
And ibon after the Treaty of Teace was fign'd
in Form at Vienna^ the publick Language at the
Coui-t oi Madrid^ was, That they had looked upon
the ?*^^r^ with the Emferor^ as a Thing fure ever
fince the preceding Marchi<^,on which Day a Cou-
rier was known to come from Vienna to Madrid^

with

( i6 )

with the News of all ^t pr'tnc'tpal Articles being
adjufted, /. e. tiz'enty one '\Days only,, from the
Day of the firfb News at Madrid^ of the King
of France^ Refolution of annulling his Mar-
riage with the Infanta,

This is fo evident a kind of Demonftration,
that Perfbns of the loweft Underftanding
cannot but conclude from it, how abfurd it
is, to make this Refolution of the Court of
France^ the firfl: Step towards an Excufe for
what was refolved on, and fet on foot, with full
Powers (igned for the Purpofe, above three
Months before it. For who is there, that
cannot immediately fee. That a Proceeding au-
thorized, November xz. could not be owing
to an Affront which was not heard of, till
March 8. following ? And that a Treaty
thoroughly adjufted, in its main Articles, at
Vienna J fo early in March ^ as to be known
at Madrid the Tizenty nijith of that Month,
could not be fo much as facilitated, or mo-
delled by what was not known at Madrid
till the Eighth of the fame March : And
which therefore, could not in fo few Days
be fent to Vienna^ to operate there ; and
the News of that Operation be returned to
Madrid ?

Butjif polTlble, itwas ftili more unaccountable
to draw an Excufe from his Britannick Majefys
not taking upon himfelf the file Mediation at
Cambray : which it was well known he could
not have done without an open Affront to France;
and a manifeft Violation of the ^ladruple Al-
liance ; befides other Inconveniences. For it was

not

07 )

not till March (),\'J^^.t\{2it the Court o^ Spain mo-
ved this. The Motion was then to be tranf-

mitted to London ; and the Anfwer to it, to be
• lent back to Madi^id. This Anlwer did not arrive
till about^r// 24. following: and therefore, I need
not fay, could not have the leaft Part in a Trea-
ty fet on Foot above four Months before, and
Jign^d in Form Ap^il}> o.i 7 2 5*. at Vienna^ i. e. about
a Week after his Ma jelly's declining the file Ale-
diation was known at Madrid-^ and \f hen it was
impollible to be known at Vien?ia. Thcfe, there-
fore, were Pretences entirely foreign from the
true Reafons of that Conduct. The Treaty of
Vienna was authoritatively begun, and going for-
ward, long before the ^Provocation from France
could poflibly palliate that clandeftine and dis-
honourable Proceeding. And it muH: have been
brought to perfed Maturity, before the
Motion was fo much as made to his Majcfty
to take on him the fole Mediation ; becaufe it
was even fign'd in Form before the Intelligence
of the King's Refolution againft the file Media-
tion could, with any Certainty j, arrive at Vien-
na. And from fuch an Apology at the flr^l: Ap-
pearance of the ne^j!j Alliance^ the Courts of
Britain and France had a Right to be jealous;
and to fufpe£l fome Secrets of a very pernicious
Nature if ill behind.

But we have not yet done with this firil
Scene. It is proper to obferve, that during this
whole Proceeding, and for the Space of above
three Months after the News of fending back
the Infanta was come from France to Madrid^
the ExprefTiOQs of Frte^idjhip towards the Britijh

C Courts,

«c

ii

( i8 )

Courty ran as high as poiTible at tlie Court of
fpam^ liz, to this Purpole : " That his Catho-

iick li'iajefty ''Jias rejolv'd to Jep urate him-
" J^y fi^' ^"^^^ from France, and place his en^
*' tire Frknd^jtp and Confidence fokly in the

King i/Great Britain; That to this End he

ttpw defired to enter into the moft jlrici Engage^
^^ ments fsr the rendering that Friendjhip per-

" fetual. That it iz'as hoped ^ his Maiefty

*' iz'ould fuffer the Negotiations at Cambray to g9
" on under his Mediation only:, into whose
" Hands he was desikous to put all his
*• Interests, ^cP whilft all this Time Rip-
perdti was ading with full Toilers at Vienna^,
in contradidion not only to this Mediation^ and
die Meafures by which it mufl have been con-
duced, iiad his Majeily accepted it ; but, as we
iliaU foon fee, to all iubfifting Engagements, and
m Violation of the Lu'vl's of Friendfhip and
Amity between Nations. Nay, whenever that
Negotiation of Ripperda's at Vienna happened
toh^ toiichM upon, as a Piece of common Talk
only, the Language of the Court of Spain was^
^ That, he ''xas an enter prifing Man^ and loved
'^ to make a Noife in the fVorld:'' infmuating
by this, that That Court had no Part in what
Ripper da was doing at Vienna,

When his Majefiy\ Reafons for not taking
upon himfelf t\\Qfole Mediation were reprefcnt-
ed at Madrid^ the Force of them was acknow-
ledged by that Court : and at the fame Time
a great Willingnefs was exprelfed to accept even
of a Reparation from France,/^r the Indignity of-
fcr'*dto Spain, fo it might come thro' the Hands of

the

( 19)

the King of Great Britain, and the Tleafnrethat
Court iz:onld have J upon fuch a Reparation, ** in
" the TrofecHt'iGH of the Negotiations at Cam-
" bray in the manner, in wf. ich they
" were begun; His Majcfty ^f/V/^ ^ ccmmcn
" Friend to both Varties^ and One cf iz'ho/e
*' Affc^ion Spain had fo often^ and particularly
*' upon this lall Occafion, received the moft ef-
" fenrial Proofs." I liardly need to obfervc,
that at this very Time Things were lb ripe at
Vienna^ that the Treaty of Peace was fign^d ifl
Form, Jlpril 3 o. about feven or eight Days after
this Language of Friendship at the Court of
Madrid ; and after thefe earneft Defires expref-
fcd, of the Continuation of the Negotiations at
Cambray in theMannner in '■jihich they iji'ere begun.
But this Way of Speaking did not ceafe yet :
For after May-LX, on which Day a Courier ar-
rived at Madrid^ with tlie News that the Trea-
ty of Peace between the Emperor and Spain^
was fign'd on April 30. After this publick In-
telligence of a Treaty fignM at Vienna^ the Lan<
guage of the Court of Spain was full of F.x-
citfes for not having ccmnmnicated i he Steps of
this Negotiation at Vienna to his Bri^annick
Majerty; and full of the ufual ProteiFions of
" a particular Regard for his Friend{hip ,
" a7id a fincere ^ef re of cultivating the ftricl-
" eji Union v:ith him ; together with ail AlTu-
^' ranees, " That nothing had been Jfipulated in
" thisTreaty, in a?iy vjifc prejudicial to the King,
*' or to the Inter efts of his Subjects j or in the
" leaji contrary to any of the Engagements en-
'^ ter'^d into 'ixjith him :, either feparately or joint-

C 2 ^ "•' ly

( 20 )

" ly iztth France; and Expreffions of a deep
" Senfi of tide great Obligation that Court had
" to his Majefty for the Proofs he had fo often
'' given of his Friendfhip and Regard for the
" Li terejt of S^a'm ', alvvays accompanied with
*' the Hope^ that iz-hat had happened ivould in
*' no iL'ife leffen his Ma jelly V Friendfhipj which
" this Court entirely depended ttponj and de fired
*•' to cultivate by all the IVays poffible,^'*

There were indeed Tokens and Symptoms of
Evil continually, during this whole Scene of Civi-
lity^ fliewing themfelves ; fully fufEcient to guard
againlf all I'ruft in any fuch Profeihons, either
of the Court of Madrid^ or that of Vienna :
and thefe, fucceeded by worfe 2ind. wor/e Ap.-
pea ranees ; and at laft, by fuch certain Proofs
as can leave no doubt of a Secret Treaty of the
molf dangerous Confequence between the two
new Allies, And I will now mention fome, in the
Order of their Time.

I. On May i. O. S, ^T^S- the Emperor'* s Mi-
nifter at London notified in Form to the Cotirt
o^ Great Britain^the Signing of a Treaty oiT^eace
at Vienna between his Mafier and the Kiiig of
Spain: and communicated a Copy of thsit Treaty
at the fame Time. After AfTurances that this
Treaty was made upon the Foot of the ^lad-
Triple Alliance^ with ftrift Regard to ai" former
Engagements, and the like; He exprefled his
Imperial Majefty's Hope, that his Britannick
Majefiy would accede to this Treaty ; and by
virtue of that Acceffion be Guarantee to the
Succeffwn to the Territories of the Emperor^ as
i^ttkd'in his FamJly by a late Conftitution : and

be-

( 21 )

before he concluded, laid, " That, after the figning
" of the Vienna Treaty ^Ripper da acquainted the
" Emperor that there remained Hill fonie Things
" to regulate between the Kin^ his Mailer, and
" the King of Great Britain ; and that the King of
" Spain requeued tht£';;^/rr^y to make ufe of his
" Mediation^ for the lettlirg thtm : Tl at the
** Emperor had anfwer'd, that if thefe AlTairs
" had any Relation to the Treaty of London
*' or arofe in confequence of that Treaty ; and
" vi it fhould prove agreeable to his Britan-
" tiickMaiefyj he would employ his Mediation ;
" but otherwife, He would not concern himfelf
" with them."

To all this it was anfwer'd, " That, as for
" the Signing of the Treaty at Vietina^ it was
" no News here; his Majefty having already
" by a Courier received Advice of it : That,
" with Regard to the Guaranty mentioned,
'' his Majejty could not confcnt to burthen him-
" felf with new Obligations, by being Guaran-
'' tee of the SiicceJJion lately eliablillied by the
" Emperor ) but w^as relblved to leave his
'' Hands at Liberty, in order to have it in his
" Power to regard, and alTill:, his true Friends
'' upon all Occafions that may arife ; and that,
*^ as for what he had related as reprefented by
'' Ripperda to his Imperial Majefty^ this Court
" knew of nothing Britain had to fettle with
" Spain^ but lome Points of Ccmmercej for
^ which there could be no need of a Mediator P

And certainly, no one can think but that it
was wifely and happily judged, to refufe a
^riaranty^ which might have beeji attended
< with

( 22 )

with fb fatal ConfequeriCes- For, as the Em^
£eror's Children are now Females only -^ and
the Influence of that Succeffion upon Europe
muft depend upon the Marriages of thefc />-
P2ales ; and as no one iben knew, to what Tri;^-
ces they might be hereafter married : It was wife
m his Maje^y not to oblige himfelf to fupport
a SucceJJion which might pofhbiy, by fome fu-
ture Marriages, become formidable to the reft
oi Europe-^ and fatal m the End to Britain it
it\l And as it was wife, fo it is already pro-
ved to be happy, that fuch an Engagement was
refufed : For (as it will by and by appear) the
^ucceJ]iGn IS already in V^o{]^^^ formidable ; the
Arcbdutchejfes are A^^iTi'A to the Infants of
Spain , and fuch a "Poijuer arifing from this Con-
jLinaion, as in all humane Probability may make
the reft of Europe tremble.

Nor can the Argument taken from the Em-
peror\ Guaranty of the SucceJJion here, in his
Alajefty's Family, (which has been fince urged,)
be of any Force in this Cafe. For, in the>//'
Treaty between his Majejiy and the Emperor,
this Trince abfolutely refufed to be Guarantee
to our Succelfion ; and never would hear of tt^
'till by the ^tadriiple All'iance his Maiejly had
®t>tained for Him the great Advantage of the
PoffeQion of Sicily. As therefore, his Impe-
rial Majefty refus'd the Guaranty of die Suc^
cejjlon here, in his Majejlfs Royal Family, m
one Treaty, tho' a Treaty entered into and pro-
fecutcd with perfed Amity on both Sides ; and
as He would not after-awards come into it, but
upon a very fignal and beneficial Acquifition to

liira'

himicif firft " fettled : This cannot be judged a

good Argument for his Alajefyy to accede to a

Treaty enter'd into and iinifh^d, not only

without his Privity ; not only without any

Regard to his Friendfliip, or any one Mark

of Refpetl: towards him ; but in open r>'i{-

refpecl to him^ as Alediator at a Congrefs then

fubfifting; and, under thefe very ditierent Cir-

cumftances, to become a Guarantee of a JV/r-

cejjion^ of the Confcquences of which, to his own

Kingdoms, and the reft of Europe ^ no Judgment

could be made, till the Marriages of the tizo

Archdutchejfes lliould come to be fettled and

known. But, to return to our prefent Subject,

This ^ropofal of the King^s being a Gua-
rantee for the ne-w ejiablijh'd Succcilion in Ger-
many^ [to which the Emperor could not in Rea-
fon expect a Compliance] confider'd alone, gave
Ground for a Sufpicion, that fome latent Mat-
ter for Quarrel was now treafuring up. K'a<\
this Sufpicion juftly increafed, upon the Oxfcr
of the Emperor''s Mediation^ coming at the
lame Time with this Treaty itfelf. For this Of-
fer fuppofcd differences between Britain and
Spain : And as thefe muft be T>ifferences with-
out any real Ground, (every material Thing
being fettled by Treaties between thofe two
Nations, ) this Jook'd like a Defign to blow up
a Fire where there was none ; and to prefume an
Uneafinefs between Spain and Britain^ which
might be improved hereafter into an open Rup-
ture.

It is impoffible, as we pafs, not to obferve
how very artful the Manner of this frji Pro-

pofition

( 24 )

pofition muft now appear, fince Things have
opened more to the Eyes of the World. The
Offers we fee, is made for accomodating *T)if'
ferences^ without naming^ or hinting at, any
particular one. There could be no doubt but
that the Offdr was really made with Relation to
Gibraltar, The Emperor^s Minifter was not to
name this : But feme time after, the Court of
Madrid openly avowed, that the Mediation of
the Emperor iz-hicb Spain had accepted^ was a
Mediation for the Reftitntion of Gibraltar : Nay,
and fome time after that, the Emperor himfelf, (as
we fhall foon fee) orders his Refident here, to
fliew the JVords in which he had obliged him-
felf to this Mediation for Gibraltar. Again,
this Ojfer is made, merely as arifing from a Dif-
courfe of Ripper da! % ; v/ithout the leaft Hint of
any Obligation upon the Emperor to make it,
or to profecute it. And afterwards, this Offer
of Mediation appears, by Order of the Impe-
rial Court, as an exprefs Article of a Treaty be-
tween Him and Spain, Butj what is ftill more,
his Imperial Majelly by his Minifter reprefents
his Anfwer to Ripper da to have been, that he
would not concern himfelf in any Affair that did
notarife in confcquence of the Treaty of Z^W*?;/,
not even fo far as to ufe his Mediation : and after-
wards (as it will prefently appear) by his Refident
here, produces the Article itfelf, by which he had
engaqed\im\{^\ix.o ufe his good Offices, that is^ his
JSiediation^ for the Reftitution of Gibraltar-^ of
that Place> the Poiledion of which was known to
be afcertained to the Crown o^ Great Britainby
that very Treaty of London.^ confirming theTreaty

of

( 15 )

of 1)tr€cht ; and about which therefore, it was
as well known, that there could be no juft Ground
for a Difference.

All this fufficiently confirms, in Event, the
Juftice of that Sufptcmi of fome Secret Agree-
ments between the Emperor and Spain^ which
the Offer of this Mediation immediately raifed
in the Court of Grif^^ Britain : And this, before
the Treaty of Teace now delivered could be
read and conlidered. But,

2. When the Treaty itielf was read and exa-
mined ; and fuch Friejidflnp was feen to be el-
tablifhed between fiich Toisjers^ upon fuch
Terms \ the Confideration of this might juftly
raife yet Wronger Sufpicions. For thus die
Cafe appeared. Notliing was found in this Trea-
ty of Peace ^ of Importance, or, fo much as m
Appeai'ance, Honourable to Spain : Nothing of
the Order of the Golden Fkece^ winch had
been fo much infifted on at the Congrefs :
Nothing of the Titles to be ufed by thefe
Two Towers^ but what might eafily have been
fettled there J much more to the Honour of
Spain, And, if we come to Points ot much
more Importance -, the Neutral Garrifons^ which,
by the ^adruple Alliance^ weretobe the great
Bulwarks of the SucceiTion of ^on Car lis to
Tufcajiy \ and everv Thing the Mediators had
proposM for his Security, and that of the Duke
of Tarma^ were all loJft to Spain by this Pro-
ceeding: \{hi\\k.t\\Q Emperor gains every Thing,
and particularly the Guaranty of his own Snc-
ceffion by Spain^ which the Imperial AmbaiTa*
dors had follicited in vain at the Congrefs.

D To

(^6)

To fee, therefore, Two Towers^ full of {xxch
a Rancour againft one another as had refifted
the Liiluence of a powerful Mediation ioYfeve-
rai Years, now m lb Ihort a Space of Time run-
ning ivito ont another's finabraces, with fo much
Eagefiicfs and Precipitation:— To ftnd (upon com-
paring this ne'oD Treaty v^'nh for mer^TQtQi\{\onSy^
tht Crown of Sfam^ at Qambray^ fo exceeding-
ly uneafy with the good Terms it was fure of
obtaining by the Congrefs there ; at Vienna, fo

r^^7^//y fuBmitting to much worfe : at Camhray^

n t to be lat stied with the Emperors Faiths
even with the Guaranty of Br it am and France
together; at Vienna^ entirely depending upon
the Faich of the fame Emperor j, without ajiy
Guaranty prefent or to come : — What could be
collefted from fuch an Appearance^ even upon
the fir ft Reading, but that this Treaty oi Teace
now communicated at London^ was not the fole
Treaty made 2xVienna\ but that there muft be
a fecret one ftill behind, too unjuftifiable to be
yet revealed ?. And of this move Sujpicions fol-
lowed thick upon one another. For,

^. Soon after the Tr^-^i^ of T^eace was figned
at Vienna^ which was April ^ o . 1725. Ripper da's
Infolendes towards his Majejiy j2Ln(\ even Threat-
flings beg^n; and from that Time continued, till
it was thr;ught moxQ politick to be move Jilent,
Of thefj, the Advices from Vienna were now
perpetually full. Such, for Inflance, as thefe
that follow, were his common Dilcourfes.

*' If King GtOYgQ fnpports ^Vancty 'W£ kfio'w
«. .~i^-(,fy rjieil.hG'W to place the Treteniicr tipcn
^*' ■ tteThrGfif.-'^Alhtxom iJi as a Great MaUybut

" com-

<(

( 27)

^' committed many Blunders : One great one iraTy
*^ That he fcnt the Spanilh Fleet to Sicily ytn/fead
" of Sending it to England, to dethrone the King ;
**^ which might eafdy then have been done : and this
*^ once donc^ the fFay had been made plain for
*' euery 'Thing elfe.- — i^ifig George hadbefl con-
" Jider how to come to Terms wt:h us ; for we
'' have it in our Tower to fujl the Preteiid:i's
" Inter efts with Efficacy." And io. all hi^ jJif-
courfes of this fore, he always took i:: fur grant-
edj that che O^r/'of ^/>//;/« w uld iiever'iiiake
the leail Hefitation to enter into all the Mca-
furesot Sfain.

His Ccnverfations of thispecuh'ar Malignan-
cy towards his Britannick Ma jelly, were with-
out Number, and without Mealure. And (b
far wa:) he from leeming to defire, they might
be kept fecrct, that one of his Speeches to his
Company was this : / know all that I fay^ is
told again, I am very glad of it. I fay what
I fay, on Turpofe that it may be told, Xor did
he fpeak with much greater Refpcd of his Ma-
jefty\ Allies. Particularlyj upon the Mention
of the Treaty of Hanover^ between the Kings
of Great Britain^ France ^ and Trtiffa, hefaid
aloud, Tes^ yes„ IVe (ball teach thefe little Gen-
tlemen {'Tetits MeJ/ieurs) to make Treaties.
And I will add here that, about this lame Time,
a very confiderable Mail in the Court of Vienna^
was not much behind Ripperda himfelf in his
Regards towards his Majefty ; when, in a Con^
verfatim, upon a Perfon's exp re/ling his T)oubt
about his Britannick Majefifs undertaking to
be Guarantee of the Auftrian Succeffion, he

D 2 anfwered

I

( 28)

anfwcrcd with a great deal of Emotion, Then
let him look to himfelfi for we are well inform' d
they begin to be weary of him in England.

We may well think thefe and many more In-
fiilts and Threatnings^ from Perfons of fuch Fi-
gure at that Time, fuiBcient to create new Su-
JpicionSj as well as to ftrengthen Thofe already
created. Such Ufage, and fuch Freedom of
Language, could not arife out of nothing-^ but
muft be the EffeB of fome Agreements and Re-
fohitions^ not yet appearing to the World.

4. Thefe Sufpicions were greatly confirmM
by the Accounts from Vienna of Ripper dd^^ Ex-
preflions of another fort-, immediately after the
figning the Treaty of Teace : Exprejfwns^ \
mean, dropt fometimes, as it were acciden-
tally, upon feveral very important Points.
He did not fcruple^ in proper Places, and upon
proper Occafions, to declare in Converfation,
that Spain was engaged to fupport the Ojiend
Company ; and when that led the Difcourfe to
Gibraltar^ he faid^ fVe know Gibraltar to be
impregnable ; but by the Meafures we have now
taken here^ we ajfure Our [elves we fly all oblige
England to give it up. At the fame Time, he
fpake of the Marriage of Don Carlos w'tth the
^/ij/f/? Archdutchefs, ^j «2 Ti^i//^ agreed upon ; ancj
added, the Prince of Afturias, for whom this
Match was firjl defigned-, is confumptive^ and
can'^t live. And furely, fuch Expreffwns muft
amount to the flrongefl Sufpicions of a Treaty^
as yet Secret^ of which thefe Three important
Foints muft make a Part. This is the leaft

we

( ^9 )

we can fay of faeh Difcourfe, coming from a
Principal Agent in this Nevj Alliance y though
at this Time only in tlic way of accidental Con-
verfation .

5. Thefe Sufpicions grew ftronger, upon the
Appearance of the Treaty of Commerce : which,
tho" figned at Vienna on the Day after the Treaty
of '^Feace^ yet, was nat communicated to the
Court o^ Great Britain by the Emperor^ Order*
nor any Notification to this Hour, made, of
fuch a Treaty, either before or Jince the Sign-
ing it. The King's Minifter at Vienna procured
a CoJ^y of it, as foon as it was printed there, and
tranfmitted it to London, When this came to be
read ; and when it appeared in the plaineif Light,
that, by the Exprefs Words of it, fuch Altera-
tions were made in the Commerce of Europe^
as muft begin in the Ruinc of our Eafi and
TVefi'India Trade, and end in that of all the
other valuable Branches of our Commerce :
What could the Court of Great Britain con-
clude from fuch a Treaty :, but that even This,
bad as it is, is not all ; that there muft be fome-
thing yet unknov/n to put in the Balance^ on
the Side of Sfain^ for all thefe unparalleled Ad-
vantages given, againft the exprefb Words ot for-
mer Treaties^ to the EmJ?eror and his Subjects ;
and that They^ who were capable of entring
into fuch Articles as thefe, which now appeared,
could not hope to fucceed in them, without
other Articles^ and another Treaty^ ihll kept \n
Darknefs, till the proper Time of producing it
fhoLild come?

6. About

( ?^)

6. About the End of July^ or the Beginning

of Augufi^ the D of Wh n arrived at

Vienna. The Court of London was not ignorant
of his real Errand : nor of the Sum of Money
he received, in his Journey, towards his Expen-
ces, from the Pretender's Friends. And tho'
he dilguis'd his Defign a Httle, when he firfl
appear'd at Vienna \ and pretended to his Ma-
jefiy\ Friends there, tjiat his View was only to
travel for a few Years, till the Memory of his
Extravagancies at home might be a little effac'd,
and his private Affairs in better order : yet,
he quickly a(Eted another Part m all his Con-
verfation and Condu6f. He foon grew intimate
with Ri^perda^ with whom he had frequent
Conferences, and from whom he was known to
receive Money. He was admitted to the G?;/-
verfation of the principal Terfons of the Court
oF Vienna. And during his whole Stay, both
He and Graham^ the Tretender*s Agent at Vi-
enna^ had a very particular Intimacy with the
Ruffian Minifter at that Court. At firft the
Projeft was, that He was to return to England^,
and do great Exploits there. But when he him-
ielf began not to think England a very fafe
Place for one who had laid himfelf fo open ; the
Defign of his Return thither was laid afide : and
another Plan was then concerted, or fending him
to Rome to the Pretender, and from thence to
Spain^ And before he parted from Vienna^ his
i//^/;i^^^<? and Fellow-Labourer Gr^Z'^;^, had long

Con-

(50

Conferences with a Peifon of great Importance
at that Court : as he had afterwards feveral

others. This QonduEi of IVh n at Vienna^

and of fo many confiderable Perfons whilft he
was there^ ftill increafcd the Opinion, that the
new Alliance could not be fo innocent a Thing
as the pibl'ick Treaty of Teace,

7. The fmooth Language at Madrid ^y^ds by
this Time gradually abated, and at length quite
changed. At the End of June 1 7 2 5 . the Court of
Spain openly avowed the Acceptance of the
Emperor^s Mediation for the Reftitution of Gi-
braltar ; but at the lame Time made the ufual
Profeflions of Fricndfhip for the King of Great
Britain^ and hoped that this Acceptance of that
Mediation^ would not offend him. Nor did this
Court make any Scruple frankly now to own that
the Affair o^ Gibraltar had been from the Begin-
ning a principal Point, concerted between the Em^
peror and Spain, In Confequence of this, about
the Aliddle of July following, M. Grimaldo^
by order of his Catholick Majefty, wrote a Let-
ter to his Britannick Majefty^ Minifter at Ma-
drid j the Conclufion of which was very Pe-
remptory : " That the Continuance of the Alli-
" ance and Commerce of Great Britain with
" Spain^ depended upon his Majefty's reftoring
" Gibraltar forthwith." And the Larguage
of this Courts from this Time, was of an inful-
ting Strain, with Regard eves to the KiJ:g himfeif,
who was then at Ha7w%er j and in Words,
not very eivilj to this hffcQ:, '* Let hini n^fke

" hafte

( p )

" bafte home J and call his Parliaments andpropofi
" the Kt^k'itwtYon immediately y This Alteration
in the Language of the Court of Madrid ; this de-
iTiandin:^ Gibraltar m fo peremptory a Man-
ner^ which Britain pofTeiTes by Treaties fign'd
by this King of Spain himfclf, gave another juft
Ground of Sufpicion of a Secret Ojfenfive Trea^
ty^ of ar. very pernicious Nature.

8. What confirmM all thefe Sufpicions very
much, was, the Reception of Ripperda at Ma-
drid ; oF the Man who had been the Maker
of the Vienna Treaties^ and who had ufed his
Majejly in fo infolent and outragious a Man-
ner. For, as before his coming thither, no Satil^
faction was ever given at Madrid^ upon Com-
plaint made of thefe Affronts and Threatnings :
fo, after it, all Honours ^ TroJitSy and Trtifts^
were heap'd upon him, in a Degree hardly
ever known.

And it was but reafonable to conclude from
hence, That^ as the Court of Spain had veri-
fied one Part of his Publick Difcourfes at Vieft-^
naj by demanding Gibraltar ; fo the aggrandi-
zing and honouring him in fo extravagant a
Manner, without fo much as the leaft Difa-
vowal of his Behaviour, at Vienna^ towards the
YJin^^oiGreat Britain:, was a fort of Declaration,
\R Etfeft, that his whole Condud, of which this
was fo remarkable aPart, was not only not difplea^
fmg 2iX. Madrid ; but pcrfcdly agreeable to the
main T>ejign^ aad Tendency of the neiv Alliance^

be-

( 3J )

begun, condudedj and finifli'd by this very Mas
at Vienna. And indeed, daring as Kipper da was^'.
yet, it is hardly conceivable that he would have
dared to have treated his 'Britannick Majefty^
in that infolent Manner : had he not known it
to be agreeable to. the ^enor of the New Jl-.
liance ; and been well afTured he fhould be fup-
ported in ito

. Thefe were all Sufpicions^ or fomething'
itronger than Siifpicions^ built upon Appear antes.^
that could have no Interpretation put upon them ^,
and could have no Meanings hov Conjiftency m
them^ unlefs upon the SuPpofition of avMher.
treaty between the Emperor and Spain^ belides:
that made publick to the World, Bat we caa
ftiil carry this Matter from Siifpicion to Certain-
ty; For,

, 9. As there are Times and Seafons, when the-
Difcovery of Secrets may be thought to be of
fjuch lingular Ufe, as to countervail all the In«
conveniencies of doing it : fo it happened in this ,
Cafe. Ripper da ^ now His Catbolick Majejiys
Prime Minifter ^t Madrid^ thought it of the-
higheft Importance to ufe all Means to prevent the,
Acceiuon of the Stitch to the Treaty oiHano'vero
And when he faw that otherMethods failed of this :
Effed upon the T)utcb Jmbaffador thOie j he had,
recourfe to thofe which he thought would tstri=^
fy the S'ates^ in their, prefent Situation,, from,
all Thoughts of doing it. At the Begin&:i g there-- ,
fpre olFehniary^ 1725-^. with u he utmoii: Seri--,
(Dufn^ and Pofitivenels^ he afTured both the SrH'

{ 34 )

tijlo and Hyntch Minifter at that Cour^ iJiat
there was a fecret offenfii'e treaty between
SpCiin and the Emperor ^ in which They had ob-
liged theipfelvss mutually to fupport one another
in their feveral Demands : And of this Treaty
he told them three particular Articles, I. That
the En^peror was to aflift Spain^ in the obtain-
ing Gibraltar. 11. That Spaiit was to fupport
the Emperor in his new Fjftahlijhmevt of the
Offend Compary, III. And the Third was an
MTticle^Xo fettk xht^totas o(Mo?iey on one Side,
and Soldiers on the other, for the Purpofes of
tins fecret Treaty, This was to influence the
Tyi^tcb to judge that it would be in vain to en-
<kavour to alter cr unlettle that Oftend Trade^
'^j. hich was fo refolvcd upon, and fo guarded,

M, de Kipper da might have added another
fecret Engagement, into which the Courts of
'l^^iemui 2'Kt Madrid h2id entered^ ciz, to un-
dertake the placing the Pretender on the Throne
o^ Great jbri^ain^ and to begin with that En-
terprize, before the\ proceedtd to the E-;::ecut:on of
the:r further P rejects fur involving all Ettrope in
Var and ConfL;/ion. Of this Engagement the
Co'-Tt of Great "Britain received fch certain
Intel 1 gen ce ^rcm feveral Qiiarters ,• that it is no
more to be doubted, than I'befc Particulars of
the fecret Oftenfivc Alliance, avowed and declared
by M, de E ipperda.

Id, de Kippcrdas profefs'd Difcovery of a
fecret Treaty^ was foon faither confirmed by

what

( 55 )

what followed. An Account of this frank and
open Difcovery was immediately fent to the
Court of Great "Britain, And, at the opening
of the laft Seflion of Tarliament^ A Koble
Perfon in an high Station, agreeably to that
Regard he owed to his Country, and to the Sa-
tisfaction due to that Align ft Jffemhiy^ of which
He was a Member, publickly declared it, in the
HoufeofZ.^;Y/j-, as an undoubted Truth, and what
Hipper da had own'd, That there was a fecret
Off en five Alhance between tlie' Bumper or and
'Spairij which contained Articles in it dedrudive
of the Rights of 'Britain^ both with Regard
to its Toffejfwns and its Coynmerce abroad. This
pofitive and undif^uifed Declaration in Tarlia-
ment^ made a great Noife without Doors. And,
upon the Signilication of this, to the Court of
Vienna^ The Imperial Kefident here was or-
dered to give Satisfadion to the !BritiJJ:) Court,
upon this Subject. Accordingly, he came to
feme of His Majefty's Minifters, and read out
of a Paper the Words which he faid were the
Contents of the Article which His Mafter had
fnter'd into, relating to Gibraltar : The
which implied, that his Mafter had engaged to
ufe His good Ofrices for the Relfitut^n of
Gibraltar, And this was ordered to be
produced, as a full and fatisfactory Prco^
that there was no fuch Thing as a fecret Of-
fenfiz'e Alliance between the two Kfw Allies^,
One would think indeed, that no fnch Iiffe'cv
could pollibly have been intqnded by this Pro-

E 2 ceedin2

( 5^ )

(feeding, or expected from it. For, as iipon
■ tliis Occafion, it might have been naturally and
jaftly expeded, as a Thing abfolutely necelTary
-to the Vindication of the Court of Vienna^
that the Imperial liefidmt here, fliould have
been order d to have ilievvn likewife what fol-
lowed immediately this Article ^ and indeed the
Treaty it feif,- of which it was a part : And as
neither of thefe was ordered or fuffered to be
donej the Whole of this taken together, will
prove the Truth of that very Imputation, which
the Court of Vienna defigned by this Step to
vindicate itfelf from^ a^ from fomething unjufti-
liable ahd difhonourable.

If from Vienna^ we go back once again
to Madrid^ we fhall find ftill more E<vidences
of a fecret I'reaty, For juft about the fame
time that Ripper da fpake fo openly to the two
■Jmha([adors^ the King of Spain himfelf wrote
a Letter to the States General for the fame
turpofe of keeping them from acceeding to the
Treaty of Hamper : which was read in the Jf-
femhly of the States of Holland^ Feb, 8. N. S.
i7'2 5"6o In /fcHe acquaints Them, That "He
-;' ftands obliged to alTift his Imperial Majefty, in
" cafe of a War, orlnfult — which He will per-
^^ form — making it a common Caufe — hold-
" itigifor Enemies Thofe who fhall be Enemies
" o^-hh Imperial Majefty \ All which, as de-
nounced 'to the States,' who had no uneafinefs
•with the Emperor^ but on account of the Oft end
Cowpam^ mu(t regard only That j and can have
. ^ - ^ ■ ' " no

^k*%rf«-'-:

( 57 )

no Meaning but this, that, if the l^titch fhould
a(^3 merely in their own Defence, and in fup-
port of their own Rights, againft that Company ;
His CathoUck Majefty had entered into an En-
gagement to affift the Emperor^ and fupport the
Oft end Company by Force, if needful : as it was
■explained by that King's Mimjier himfelf at the
Hague y in a Declaration -nade by Him, " That
^^ His Catholick Majefty would look upon what-
'^ ev^er fhould be undertaken againft the OJiend
" Company^ as done againft himfelf". This
is an open owning of a Treaty, befides That
already ^uhlkki and of an Engagement in it
to fupport the OJiend Company by Force.

To proceed ; When about two Months after
the firft Declaration made by Ripper da^ it was
reprefented at Madrid how much the Court
of Great Britain was furprized at this open Dif-
covery, made to the 1 'wo Amhaffadors^ of a fecret
Offeiifice treaty. No other Reply could be
obtained, but, in general AVords, That the
Court of Spain ftill deftred the Friendfhip of
Great Britain ; and that the Engagements en-
ter'd into at Vienna^ would not hinder this.
Nor could any thing that was urged, mov^e that
Courts either to own this fecret Treaty -, or at all
to denv it. Very foon after this, the two Jmbajfa-
dors thought it proper to have a Conference with
Ripperda -, in which He began a little to fliuffle,
and to interpret away what He had faid of an Of-
fenfiz'e^reaty^ by endeavouring to perfuadeThem,
That it was little more than a "Defen/ke One.
: ' ■ ■ But

( 38 )

But being prefs'd by Botb^ who agreed in what
He had before told them ; and required peremp-
torily to anfwer, whether he had not declared to
Them exprefly that there was a fecret Offen-
iive Alliance between the Emperor and Spain^
He anfwered. That he bad told them fo ; and
fidded, that all he had told them was true.
And how indeed could he polTibly deny it,
fince there was not a Foreigner of any Diftin-
6:ion at Madrid^ who had not heard him,
without Referve, declare the fame about this
fecret Offenfit'e Alliance ? And whom can we
believe in fuch a Cafcj if not a Prime Minifter
fo often affirming a matter of Fad to fo many^
whilft neither the King his Majier^ nor any of
His other Mi 7iifters ^t that time denied itj or
at all look'd as if they had any Thoughts then
of denying it ?

And once more, when an Application was made
nt Madr/dy from the Sritijh Court, with Rela^
tion particularly to the Part which Spain appeared
now to take in the Affair of the Oft end Trade;
at firft nothing was avowed, but an Obligation
to ufe Good Offices for accom-modating that
Affair. But, when a ^Pr^/'f?/}?/ was offer'd, which
the Court of Spain acknowledg'd to be a very
r e afon able one -^ and when upon this it was urg'd.
That, (ince This Pro}X)fal was thought a reafona-
hie One j if the Imperial Court fliould refufe to
liften to it ^ This would be a jufl Reafon why
Spain f}-iOuld not fupport the Emperor any far-^.
thcr ii\ whit ^pain it felf judg'd to be un-

regfop-r

,n>

/ ...„

( 5J> )

reafonable ; It was anfwered ^"^ This could
•^ not be allowed ; For Spain muft ftand by its
^' EiTgagemeuts with the Emperor". This was
a plain Acknowledgment of larther EngagemmitSy
and of another Sort, than thofe of a Frmidly
Accommodation-, and, by juft Confequence^ of a
fecret Off en five T^reaty, For iTich Engagf*ments
muft be enter'd into by T^reaty ^ and this T'reaty
muft be diftind: from That r already piLhliJhedy
which does not contain them j and it r.iuft be an
Offenfive Treaty, becaufe it / s in fuDport of an
Inv^afion made upon the High ts of others j and ix\
oppofition to Thofe who a/.t only in defevfe of
thofe Rights founded upc .n the moft folenin
Treaties.

After all this, it is too late for the Court of
Spain to link the Credit o f this T>ifcovery made
b^ Ripper da to the twc ) Ambafladors ; or to
think of deftroying the C Jredibility of what this
Court It feif has given '? feftimony to. All the
Circimftances of this A ftair, as I have related
them, make it too plain to be now evaded ; And
all who know any thing of Tublick Affairs^ will
look upon w4iat I have now produced, as a po-
fitive and convincing ". Evidence of what before
was only a ftrong Stt^ "picion.

This therefore, we are too fare of,- That the
now publick Treaty o f Teace^ made at Vienna^
Was it felf enter'd in to w^ithout the leaft Provo-
cation fiom the Med iators ; in contradidion to
an Exprefs Jrticle > of the Otiadrupk Alliance^
api^ointing thi§ Med iation alone for the adjuft-

( 4G )

ing remaining Differences ; cover'd all the time:
at Madrid with the fmootheft Language, and
the pretended earneft Defire of proceeding ftill
at Cambray j and made up of Articles fo dilho->.
nourable to SpaiUy that nothing can account for
them, but the Suppofitioji of another, and this
an Offenfive Treaty^ yet private : That this is
not only Suppofiiion upon Con] entire ; but is
proved to Us, by, Arguments too ftrong to be.
denied i the repeated Affirmation of Him who
was made Prime Minifier of Spain after he had
made this Treaty ; the Acknowledgments in.
Effed of the Two Courts themfelves of Vienna
and Madrid^ with regard to Gibraltar^ and the
Oftend Trade j and the Order from Vienna for
producing at London an Article of a T'reaty^ in
fuch Words and in fuc'-h a manner, as makes it
impoiTible to doubt of ithe Reality of it.

We will now fee what Light we can get in-
to the Nature o£ This fo certain Offenfi've Alli-
ance j and the other T'reaiies between the Fm--
feror and Spain : and in what manner We Our
felves are likely to be afle^^ed by Hhem j with
regard to, the great and only Security of all Our
other good things, the pret'ent Trot eji ant Royal
Family i with regard to the PolTefTions of Great
Britain in Spain ; with i^sgard to the fettled
Rights and Privileges of t^ie Nation in Trade
and Commerce ; and indeed^ in confequence of
thefe, with regard to our beiiig, or not being, at ,
all, a Nation worth exilUng^ If after this, we

ex" '

( 41 )

elctend our View farther. We flialj fee what i:v
likely to be the Fate of Europe j and what will
become of the Balance of Power, if the main
Defigns projedted in this late Alliance at V'ieima:^
fhouU be permitted to take effed:. lliis Enqui-
ry is the only way to our making a trut Judg-
ment of the Steps taken by ^ritain^ and the
Powers in Alliance with it. And when we have
done this, ~ Let them that are Wirifl^ he
mnd flilL

I. The firft Enquiry which will offer It fclf^
upon this occafion, to the Mind of every True
jBrit07i^ will arife from the Intereft AVe ajl Iiave,
in the. prefervation of our prefent Trot eft ant
MftahUJlomeut ^ and our concern to find out how
^This is already, or will probably be, affeifted by
this New Alliance.

. I know very well how eafy and how common
it \s^ to laugh at the Name of the Tretender^
whenever it is mentioned upon fuch Occalions /
as a Political .^ughear^ or Scare-crew \ a mere
Word, of Aiiarm j or a Puppet to be play'd by
Statefmen at their Pleafure, and whenever their
Defigns require it. But it would be very unfor-
tiinate for Great 'Britain^ and end in the total
Kuine o£ TJs and our Tofferity -, if Thofe who are -
at, the Helm, iliould I'dikv themfelvc.?,' ftt.ths
Pleafui'e of fncli as" wiiTi them no' good/ to' be
laugh'd out of that Care aud Wakcfulnefs,
wkich their King and their Country require q|^

F tHe?iC'

( 42- )

them. There is not a Day, nor an Hour, in
which the necelTity of Attention to this great
Point, docs not appear : Nor is there, I fear, any
Crifa of Affairs in Europe pofTible, at this time,
without TMs bearing a great part in it. And
therefore, when a Breach with a 'Protejiant King
of Great "Britain^ who loves his SuhjeUs too
Boneftly to give up their greateft Concerns to
the Demands of any Power opon Earth, is
thought conv^enient and ufeful j no one can help
concluding, from the known Principles of the
Courts of Vienna and Madrid^ that the Mo-
ment They refolved upon entring into' zx\Alliance
fo injurious to his Brttannick Majefly^ and fo
deftrudive to the Interefts of Britain: the fame
Moment another flefolution muft alfo be taken :
the Refolution of giving His Majejiy all the un-
eafinefs they could, even in his higheft Rights ;
and either forcing Him by this means to 'Their
Terms j or preparing the way for zKwg oi Bri-
tain after their own Hearts, from whom they may
expeft all SubmiiTion and Compliance, But this is
only a probable Argument. Let us come now to
Faas.

I have already mentioned fome Preliminarlds j
the Journey of Wb— — n to Vienna;^ and his
Condu(it and Intrigues and Encouragements
there • as well as Kipper das threatuing King
Gsorg^'wlth the 2^r^i^^;;^«fr, before he left Vien-

^ ( 43 )

iia^. But afterwards the Appearances of a jettiei
^efign againft His Majefty and His Royal Fa-
mily y foon began to thicken apace j and the ht-
telligences about it to be very politive, from all
the Friends of Great "Britain^ at almoft every
Court of Etircpe,

In the Jirft Place, according to what had
been before concerted at Vienna^ the D— *
o{Wh' ' • n^ with Letters Recommendatory from
young Kipperda^ went for Rome^ diredly
to the SpaniJJo Minifter refiding there. By this
Minifter, he was introduced to the T^retender*
In the Pretenders Houfe, he was kept clofe
fhut up for Six Days i to hide, if poffible, his
being there : and, after very ciofe Conference^
was pofted away to Madrid^ w^here old Ripper-
da^ his great and intimate Friend, was nov/ m
high Credit and Honor. r.

I'hiither he came with Credentials from the
Pretender j and, as a pnblick Mark of Confi-
dence in him, adorn'd with a Garter, and a new
Title,- and was very kindiy entertained at Ma-
dridy with thefe o^^eu Diftindions of Treafon
and Perjury upon him.. And tho' it was often
faid, and promifcd and fworn to, by Ripperda.^
that this New Agent fliould be fent av/ay ia
twenty four Hours time ; and as ftrongly fworn
to, that he never admitted him, nor ever would,
into his Company,- yet heflill remain'd at Ma-

F z dri.i

( 44 )

^rid without any Mark of difplcafure ,• and was
known To be frequently v/ith R^pperda himfelfifi
clofe Conference. His intimacy with Count Ko-
ningfeCj tht Ijj^perial Minifter at Madrid^ and the
jFreedoni of his Vifits to him, were very remark-
able, at a time when he profefb'd himfeif to come
into ^pain on no other Errand but the Preten-
ders Service ^ and this, without referve to the
EngUfJ} themfelves at Madrid^ who were in the
Friendiliip, and even in the Service, of the
Crown of 'Britain, This made It certain, that
the bufinefs of thefe frequent Meetings with
Pcrfons of Charaifter, both in the Spanifl^ and
Imperial Service, could be no other, thi^n that
which brought him to Madrid. At the fame
time the late Duke of Ormond was admitted to
j^rcquenr ^k^diences at Court : in which no one
could think that the Interefts of his Mafter wer0
forgot. ' On the contrary. Now it was that feve-
ral Projeds for the Execution of what was

the fole End of T^b- ;/s Journey to Madrid,

were kid before the Conrt of Spain^ to be
weighed ^nd confidered i% their feveral Proba-
bilities.

What Can the greateft Well-wif!ier to this
Kep Alliance' {2.^^ in Apology for this Condud:
of the Court of Spain j as well thefe Audience^
given now to the late Duke of Ormondy as the

Ivcception the D of Wh n was ^-

'~%zxsk With^ at a t.me when he came diredly
\ i :', \: .> J com-

'( 45 )

commifTion'd by the Pretender ; and never at-
tempted to hide the full intent of his Journey ?
What can any one fay, who will but read* the
fixth Artv:le of the Peace o^ Utrecht > in which
the Catholick Kmg doth Tromife^ as well in
his own Name^ as in that of his Heirs and
SuccefforSy that they will rM at any time di-
flurh'or rnoleft the Queen, her Heirs and Siiccef-
fors of the 'Protepant Line^ heing in Tojfejfton
of the Crown of Great Britain and the T)omi'
m'ons SftbjeU thereimto ,• neither will the
aforefaid Cathohck King^ or any of his Succef-
fors^ gice at any time any Aid, Succour, Fa-
vour or Counfel^ direUly or indireUly^ to any
T erf an or Terfons^ who on any Caufe or Pre-
tence Jloould hereafter endeavour to oppofe the
/aid Siiccejfwn by open War^ or hy an) Confpira-
cies againji fiich Trince and Princes ^ f off effing
the Throne of Great Britain, hy ^virtue of the
Acis of Tarliarmnt made there. And, fince his
prefent Majefty came to the Throne, in Jrt 5.
cf the ^ladruple Alliance (to which Quadruple
Alliance thQ prefent King oi Spain acceeded, be-
fore the opening of the Congrefs at Camhray) His
Catholick Majefty (as the Emperor had done
before) hinds bimfelf his Heirs and Succejfors^
to maintain and guaranty the Succejjion in the
Kingdom of Great Britain, as eftahlijljed in the
Boiife of his "Britannick Majefty now reigning ;

• as

( 4^ )

^s lihwife to defend all the l^omlnions and
'Provinces pojfejfed by his Majejiy ; and not to ghe
ani grant 'any Troteciion or Refuge., to the
Pretender ( there defcribed) or his ^Defrendents^
nor any Succour^ Cou,ifel^ or yllJiftance whatfo*
€7'er. diroLlly or indireUly* And to ohfer've the
[awe { i. €, not to give 'Reception^ Succour, (!xc.~]
with reg^ard to thofe who may he Order d or
Commifjiond by the [aid Terfon [the Tretender'X
to difuirb the Go'Vernment of his ^ritannick Ma-
jefly^ or the Tranquillity of his Kingdoms^ &c.
"Let but the late and prefent Condud of the
Court of Spain be compared with thefe exprefs
Stipulations: and every Reader may be left to
make his own Inferences from fuch a Compari-
fon. To return.

The Evil I was fpeaking of, was not to reft
in Words and Schemes : nor were the Projects I
have mentioned, only propofed in 'Theory, Prepa^
rations were actually made in Spain^ to put the de-
termined Purfofe in Execution : Of which Prepa-
rations I will enumerate certain Particulars that
could not be concealed.

In February 1 7 2 5-6, a Refolution was taken
TO fend a Body of Troops confiftingof 12000
Men, to the Coafts oiGalicia and B if cay. There
were at that Time at Cadiz feveral Spanijh Ships
that were plainly delign'd for an Imbarkation :
Tvv^o oFthem were of 70 Guns, one of 64, one of
5 6, one of 2 6^ and one of 24 j and .ill viduall'd for a

Hundred

( 47 ) .

Hundred Days. And at Cadiz^ it n9W was^
that 4800 Arms were known to have been
bought, and deftin'd to the ^Pretenders Ser-
vice. His Majefiys Minifter at Madrid did in-
deed, upon the Difcovery made to Him of the
Place where they lay in Pawn for a certain Sum^
take effedtual Care, by firft laying down that
Sum, and afterwards paying their whole Price, to
keep them out of the Hands of the firft Pur-
chafers, who earneftly follicited to have them,
and frequently offer'd the Money which had
been lent on them. For he knew from undoubt-
ed Intelligence, the PurpofeThey were intended
for. Befides thefe Ships at Cadiz j there were
likewife then in Spain^ three Rtijfian Men of
War, one of 64 Guns, and the other two of
about 40 Guns each, equipped feme time before
from Petershourg^ which came to Cadiz in the
Beginning of Winter 1725, to carry on the Pre-
tence of Merchandize ; but in December werit
from thence to St. Andero^ aod lay there the three
following Months.

As to thefe .^ree Ships, the Court of Great
Britain, feme time after they failed from Tc-
tershourg, made a full Difcovery, by Letters
from the Pretenders Agent there, and others
concerned in this Tranfaftion, which fell into
their Hands- that they had been fitted out ac
the Expence of the Pretender 'i Friends, with the
Fririty of the CotiiTt of Petenhourg^ and fent to

Spaijf

( 48 ) ^

Spain to be employed in an Expedition for tht ?
Pretenders Service; and that five more had
been contracted for, and were defign'd to fol-
low. And accordingly, at the Time of their
pafling the Sound, fo very particular a Joy was
exprefs'd at Stockholm^ by a certain Tm'ty
there, that it could not but be remark'd by the
Friends of Great Britain at that place. And
in their Paflage, when they lay in the NoTth
of Scotland^ and afterwards were driven by
Strefs of Weather into Ireland ; his Majefty's
Officers belonging to the Cuftoms, who, ac-
cording to their Duty went on Board, found
all the Symptoms of Enmity to his Majejiy ^
all pcflible Tokens of a warlike Defign • and
all the Fears of a Difcovisry that could fhew
themfelves. And after chefe Ships v/ere fafe
in Spain-, it was given out by one of the Great-
eft Men in the Court of RuJ/ia, and written
by another Great Man, from his Mouth, to
Stockbokn, in order to influence the Swedes^
** That the Alliance of ^Britain and Prance
*^ would be of the lefs Moment; fince the Im-
" perial Courts and the Tretender^ Meafures la
" Spain would now find thofe two Powers full
" Employment. " And it was likewife after
the fafe arrival of thefe Rtijjian Ships at St. Jn-
dero\ and dwring there ftay there, that the Mo-
tions and Projeds of the Pretender's Friends

grew

( 49 )

grew more and more Vigorous in Spain.
Not only the late Duke of Ormond admit-
ted to frequent Audiences at this Jundure, but
one Connoch^ the Tretenciers conftant Minifter
at Madrid^ hardly ever out of Ripperdai
Houfe ; and one Tomphilly^ lately con>e from
England^ offering Money to all the "Brohn Of-
ficers He could meet with at Madrid ; (as fe-
veral of them freely affirm'd, and particularly
a SwifsTroteftant^ One of thofe to whom the
Offer was made) and this profelTedly upon a
Defign then on foot in favour of the Treten-
der.

From the Mention of thefe particular Pre-
parations, Ipafs on to fhew what \J^c was in-
tended to be made of the whole. So early as
in Fehniary 1^2^-6) 12000 Men (as has been
faid above) were defigned to be \i:vit to khe
Coaftsof Galicia and TJfca}\ the {irll Pro-
jed of the Court of Madrid being to make an
Attempt on his Majerty's Dominions from thofe
Farts. Bur as fuch a Body of Troops could
not at that Jundure march thither, without
giving an Alarm j the Pretence for it, made
ufe of by the Court of Spain^ was, that they
had certain Intelligence of a Refolution taken
by the Court of Great 'Britain to land a Num-
ber of Troops in that Part of the Councry;
who were to burn and deftroy all before them,
and even the Shipping in all the Harbours,

G Under

I 50)

Under the Cover of this pretended Intelligence,
which no one in England could poflibly give,
and which no one at Madrid could really be-
lieve, the March of thefe Forces was ordered.
But his Majefty's Minifter at Madrid repre-
fenting to the Duke o^ Ripper da (yho was
then Prime Minifler, and in the higheft De-
gree of Trud and Confidence with the King
his Mafler,) that fuch Intelligence could have
no Foundation, and ewn that fuch a Defign
from England was impoflible • Ripperda pro-
mi fed the March of thofe Troops fhould be
forborn, till a Declaration from tfee "Britijlo
Court, to the Purpofe of what Mr. Stanhope
had faid, could be obtained. But the true
., Reafonof delaying this March, was, that fome
f)f the Pretender's Friends had reprefented to
the Court of Spain^ that the fending of 12000
Men to Galicia and 'Bifcay^ without any Co-
Jour of Neceffity for them, in a Country where
there never ufed to be above two or three Bat-
tallions, would give fuch an Alarm to England
as would inevitably put us upon our Guard ;
and therefore it would be more eligible to or-
der that Body of Troops to Na^jarre^ on a
very natural Pretext of fecuring that Frontier
againft France ; but when there, they would
lc« fo near Guipitfcoa^ that they might be rea-
dy toimbark, on very fliort Notice^ in Tran-
' fports

( 5^ )

fports to be provided at a Port of that Province ;
and be convoyed from thence by a niimber of
Men of WarjOf which thofe thvQQMufcodte Ships
were to be Part. They propofed at the fame
time, that fo«me Ctw Ships fhould be fent with
Arms from Cadiz diredly to Soot I an d -^^ and
a Body of 6000 Men kept ready by the Em-
perour at Oftend.

But the Court of Spa'ni^ being foon after
perfeclly informed, that fuch vigorous Refo-
lutions were taken, and fuch Preparations and
Difpofiiions made, by Great 'Britain^ that it
was in vain for them to hope for any Suc:efs
at that Time from fuch an Attempt ; they fuf-
peaded for the prefent the putting this DeGgn
into Execution ; the rather, finding themfelves
obHged to fend Part of tl-^eir Ships from C/r?-
diz and St. Anderoto t\\tWeft-lndies : And the
yinfcovite Ships returned home*

Thus in faQ: Itood the Cafe-, in favour of the
Tretender^ at the Court of Madrid^ before
•the Vigorous Meafures of Great Britain al-
ter'd it. And, who that confiders the whole
of this, \^ill be moved by any the ftrongeft
Verbal Affeverations of that Courts againit
fuch Facts ; when it is remember'd, That
this whole Scene of the New Alliance^ which
is acknowledged to be framed againfl our
T'rade^ and our Righc to Gibraltar^ was be-

G 2 gua

( 5^ )

gun and carried on to perfection , under
the Colour of the Highell: Regards to his
Majefty ; and accompanied all along with
the ftrongeft and moft pathetick AfTurances of
Triendfloip ?

Efpecially, if we add here, what oucht to
allarm the 'Britiflo Courts and was fufficient
itfelf to juftify All their Earliejl Precautions.
and Treparation's ; oiz. That foon after the
pablifhing the Vienna-Treaties of Teacc and
Commerce, They had pofitive Intelligence ; and
Intelligence from more than one Perfon ; and
fiich as could be entirely depended on ; That
one Exprefs Article of this Jlliance between
the Bmperor aiid. Spain contained an Obliga-
tion in Favour of the^ Pretender ; and a Stipula-
tion to make the Attempt for Him in England-,
before opening the War in any other Parts.
And by as undoubted Intelligence it was added.
That the !Pr^f^;/^^r, in return, had fince obliged
himfeii' to reftore Gibraltar and Port Mahon to
the Ci'own of Spain ; to be Guarantee of the
Emperor's Ofiend-Trade ; and lay open the
Commerce, m our Plantations abroad, to
Their Ships, with the iame Privileges as the
JEngUfh themfelves enjoy. And for this Jrticle,
enter'd into by the Emperor v/ith th€ King of
^^/;f, for the Service ol the ^Pretender ^ there
is as Certain Evidence, as of the Being of a.
Secret Treaty, of which 1 cannot think it

pc IT] ble

( 53 )

po/Iible to doubt, after what has been, and
will be, fa id upon the Articks of Gihraltcir.y
and the Oft end-Trade.

This brings our Thoughts to the Court of
Vienna : For This Article touches the Imperial
Courts equally with l^hat of Spain ; and
proves the Tretender's Caufe, to be the Con-
cern of the Former^ as truly as of the Latter ;
and to be made fo by an exprefs Stipulation
in a Treaty, And this alone is Brjidence
enough of the Worft T>ifpofition towards a
Kingy an HI a Kaion-, which have not deferved
fuch a Return frum Vienna. For, T'his Tingle
Point being certain ^ it will be of /;?2^// Impor-
tance, to alled^e the Condu£l of this Court in
not giving fuca publick Tokens o^ this Difpofi-
tion, in Taci ; as the Other has done : which
will only fhew a cautious "Prudence in the Exe-
cution., but not at all any Innocence^ or Igno-
rancey of fuch T)efigns. The Article alone de-
monftrates the "Uejign : and that is fuificient.

But indeed, it, after this, We confider the
moft piihlick Parts of the late Conduct
of the Imperial Court towards this Nation ;
we cannot conclude lefs than This, That
there is little Defire or Thought there, of
keeping any Terms with us, in any re-
fped : I mean, that part of Conduct, which
regards our Trade ^ not only by confe-

. quence,

( 54 )

ijucncc, but directly and immediately. At 0-
fiend, and in the Netherlands, the prefent and
future Fatal EffeUs of the New Eflablifhmenc
are too vifible ; at the fame Oft end, which was
conquered and preferved by our Arms and thofe
of the T>utch' In Sicily^ refcued from the Spa-
niard by our Fleets as well as fecured to the
Emperor, by the good Offices ofourKing in the
Treaty o^ London -, In the fame Sicily^ the kind-
nefs was foon returned by a prohibition of all our
TVbollen MamifaUures i and this prohibition not
yet removed, bur only fufpended for a while,
upon the ftrongcft Reprefentations and the
plaineft Evidence, that this Proceeding was
againft the Faith o^ Treaties, which made the
^ritijjj Privileges there, exa6lly the fame, as
in all other 'Dominions of Spain, to which it
once belonged : Thofe fame Treaties, under
which the 'Duke of Savoy, at the Peace of
Utrecht^ took poiTedion of this Kingdom o( Si-
cily ; and under which the prefenc Emperor
took it after him. And lately, in the Auftrian
Dorninions in Germany, preferved from Ruine
by the Arms and Money of Us and our Allies,
mofl: Species of our ManufaUtires are prohi-
bited. So that in every Inch of Ground His
Imperial Majefty is pofTenfed of; even in thofe
Countries gained by our A (Ii (la nee, and where
He is as clofely bound by particular Treaties
^s the moft folema and repeated Engagements

<Cdn

( 5S f

can bind him • In all, He has a£ted the fame
part towards Us, in one of our tendered
Concerns. And if the hnpeyial Court be refol-
ved to go on in thefe Paths ^ This alone muffc
determine them to efpoufe the 'Pretender's In-
tereft : as They are fully aifured of His prefcnc
Majefty's firm Refolution never tamely to give
up the Rights and Privileges of this NatioDj,
in fo cfTential a Point as that of Trade.

But I have done: and I am fure, have faid
enough upon this frft Toint^ to put it beyond
all Doubt, that this New Alliance at Vienna
contains in it, and vi^ill certainly bring after it,
if not vigoroufly oppofed, the moft unfpeak-
abie Evil loGreat "Britain ; by engaging, and
attempting, to fubvert our prefent happy Ella-
blifhment.

ir. I will now fay a Word or two about
the Poffeflions of Great ^Britain within the
SpaniJJj Dominions ; and how They mull be
affeded by this new Alliance. Thefe are G/-
hraltary and Tort-Mahon ; won by our Arms in
lawful War ; afcertained to us as our Property
by all the Parties concerned in that War; and
fecured to us by all the Solemnity of Alliances,
and Treaties, and particularly by this prefent
King 0^ Spain himfelf, in two exprels Articles
of the Treaty of" Teace figned at Utrecht, 171^.
For, of the great Importance efpecially of One of
them (I mean Gibraltar) I would not be thought

to

( 5<J )

to rpeak as any the leaft Motwe to a juft and
brave People to value and preferve it, were
not the Poireffion of it founded upon the ftridefl:
Right and the moft undeniable Maxims of
Pohtical and National juftice. But when that
Importance^ to which Spain gives teftimony by
the Eagernefs difcovered to wreft it out of our
Hands, is added to the Kight of ToJ[eJJion:
No one amongft us, who is a true Lover of
his Country, can be eafy under the Piofpedl
©fan Alliance^ which opened it felf to Great
^ritahh with the Civil Complement from
Spain of demanding Qibr altar immediately,
as the Condition of the Continuance of a
Friendfhip, which cannot be violated without
the Breach of all Faith and Truft in treaties \
and with thQEv2peror^i>Obligatio7t^to ufe His kind
Help to bring Britain to a Compliance with
that ^Demand. I have already fpoke of this
demand, and this Obligation^ as certain E-
vidences of a fecret Offenfive Alliance be-
tween the Emperor and Spain, I now fpeak
of this mutual Engagement between thdfe two
Powers, for the Recovery of Gibraltar^ as one
of the unjuft and pernicious Conditions of their
new Alliance. And, after I have before fo
painly proved, That this Engagement makes
one main part of it ; not only trom Ripperdas
repeated Affirmation both at Vienna and at

Madrid y

[ 57]

Mndrid', but from the peremptory Language
ufed at Madrid after this Alliance at Vienna\
and from the Teftimony from Vienna added
to This, that there was an Exprefs Article
containing the Emperor's Stipulation upon this
Head ; and this T'eftimony given at Londoriy
by order of the Imperial Court, in a very
remarkable manner. After the Proof of this
Fa£l, I need fay no more than that, if the De-
ligns of this Alliance be not vigoroufly oppofed
and effcdually broke, the firft unwelcome Evil
to Great 'Britain muft be, To lee a place of
the utmoft Importance to u?, if we will truft
the ConfefTion hoth of Friends and Unemies^
wrelled from us by Torce (if it be poOTible) un-
lefs we will bafely yield it up to the i/npor-
tunity of Thofewho ask it; and a Place, which
is our Honour, and our Strength abroad ; a
great defence and Adi'antage to our extended
Nai'igation ; and a Convenience to our Ships of
all forts, not to be equalled by any other Place,
that can be offered by that Crcwn^ which
would deprive us of it.

III. But indeed this Tlacey could it be pre-
ferved to us by all oar Strength afid Prudence,
would be of no Importance to us hereafter;
if the other Schemes of This 7i€W Alliance
ftand good. It will be a fmall Comtorc to
Great Britain, and little better than a Ridi-

( 58 )

ciiky^o have in polTedion fo great a Convenience
ro Shipping and Tirade-, as Gibraltar is; if
we are to be ftripped of that 'Trade it felf,
and to be reduced to the Condition of having
little o-F no Occafion for any Shipping at all.
And yet, T his I think muft be the Cafe with
us, if the Troje'cls of this new Union are fuf •
fered quietly to fucceed.. For our Trade it felf,
that Ornament and fupport of Great 'Britaiuy
mufl by Degrees be fo affeQed, in almoft every
Branch of it, that it cannot but naturally lelTen,
Flag, and Dye^juftin Proportion as this new
Jlliance gains Strcii^-h and flourifhes. There
can be little Hope, li this Conjundlion pro-
ceeds much farther, of obtaining any Re-
drefs for the many injuries in Commerce , al-
ready received j or of preventing many more^
from the Side oi Spain: and much lefs, if pof-
fible, of keeping the Defigns at Oftend from
having Effect ; which, taken with all their ex-
tended ill confequences towards almoft all the
Branches of our Trade-^. are enough to awaken
all Tritons-, who have been ufed to efteem their

Commerce^ as their darling Good : a Good,

to the fupport and increafe of which, all their
Treaties and jjlliances have for many Years paff
fo^iely tended ; and in Comparifon of which
they have defpifed, and left to Others the Jc-
qutfition of TraUs of Land, and Territe-*

Ties

[ 5?]

ries to enlarge Dominion and Power. Hitiierto,
We have always fliewed our feives lenfiblc that
Trade was our pioper Life ^ and the Encourage-
ment of this, upon an honourable Bottom, the
proper Nburifhment of that IJfe. Every In-
ftance of Conduc't in any in Power at Home,
which has but feem'd to iJiake it a little, or to
touch it, at a Dillance, m an unkindly Manner,
has been found to be fb refented, as to dif unite
the greatefl Friends ; and at once to unite thole
of different Views amongil: \\s^ in a vigorous Op-
position to it. And every Step, in order 'to de-
fend and promote it, has been received v/ith
imiverfal Applaufe j and reconciled and cnla'rg'd
the Affections of Men to fuch BenefaClors. And
with regard to Foreign Nations j every hurt, any
of them do to our Conmwce ^ every Breach
into the Fences and Privileges with which that
is guarded and en rich 'd ^ e\'ery Shadow of a Ten-
dency this way j has always been view'd here, as
the high eft of all Injuries to this Nation, aad the
natural Subject for the genuine and juftRercntment
of every true 'Briton, And if we are not dead to
all this Senfe \ ii we dill retain the properLife and
Vigor oi Britons ; that \s^ of a Nation adjorn'd and
fupported by the moll extended Commerce that
can be boafted of by any People : "What can
we think of an Alliaace between two powerful
Princes, form'd, a^ainfi: the plain Stipulations of
*■ H 2 Tim"

{ ^o )

Treaties^ in order to deprive us of our Glory,
our Riches, our Strength, which depend all upon
our Trade ; and afterwards, to defend and
preferve Themfelves in their Acquifltions of our
Rights ?

Thefe are not Words without a Meaning ; nor
Fears merely of Iin agination fet on Work by pre-
fent Refentment ; But real, Subftantial, and un~
deniable. For, if the Union of thefe two Pow-
ers proceeds upon the prefent Foot ; and be not
thoroughly broken in its terrible Parts j let any
one fay, what hope can remain of any Bounds to
1^ fet to the Injuries our Trade has felt, and muft
feel ? Will t hofe depredations and Hoftilities^
committed in the Weft Indies by the Spaniards^
under pretence of theJr Right to guard againft
Clandejiine Trade j Thofe Violences, by which
the w^hole Commerce of Jamaica has been well
nigh deftroyed, and the Trade of that Ifland
reduced to a miferable Condition, be now re-
drefs'd? Or, will the Remonftrances of thefe
Grievances, which have had no Effed: before
the Treaties of J^ienna ^ now, after fuch trea-
ties are made, meet with any better Reception at
Madrid -, and procure Us a more favourable
Anfwer? Will any Complaints, or Reprefcnta-
tions», in fupport of the acknowledg'd Rights
of the South- Sea- Company^ obtain now fo much
as a Hearing at the Court of Spain j when the

Strength

{ (^l )

Strength of fuch an Allimice \^ added to the
former Difinciin^tion towards any Redrefi; ^ and
is fuffered by the other Powers of Europe to
exert itfelf ? Or, will They, who have been hi-
therto unnjoved by Right znd ynjnce^ at length
'vohntarily Uftcn to their Voices ? Or, will the
Court of J^ienna^ which has flood out, hefore
this Alliance, againft all SoUicitations, relinquifh
the ^retenjiovs at Oft end., and adt agreeably to
former T'reaties in the Affair of Cornmerce ; now
after the Riches of Spain are to come in, to the
Aid of former Refolutions ?

So far from this, that it is an exprefs Article^
ftipulated in this New Alliance^ that, as the 'Em-
peror is to afTift Spain in the re gaining of QihraU
tar ; fo is Spain obliged to fupport the Emperor
in his Oft end Company^ and his Commerce.

This Article, relating to the Oft end Company^
as part of a Secret Offenfive Alliance^ C^s I have
before fhewn) was more than once not only ac-
knowledg'd, but boafted of, to the "Britijh and
lyutch Minifters at Madrid^ by Kip per da ^
when he was prime Minifter in Spain, But we
have not only this Evidence. For, as '\x\ the Af-
fair of Gibraltar^ the Emperor himfelf, by pro-
ducing an Article of a Treaty, gave Telhm.ony
to his having enter'd into Ej^igagements relating to
that Place ; fo, his Cat]? click Majefty has not
fcrupled to give his own Tefiimony, that, by this

Nei:)

( c^ )

JSlew Alliance^ He has entered into Engagements
to fupport the Empe)"or in his Eftabiilhment of
the Oftend Company-, not only by the Language
of his Court at Madrid \ but by what he wrote
himfelf, and ordered his Minifter at the Hagiie^
to denounce, by way of Threatning, to the
States General^ upon this Subject : of which I
have given an Account before. And befides all
this, it is enough to look upon the Tuhlkk Trea-
ty of Commerce fign'd at Vienna May i ft, 1725.
to be fatisfied, that fuch Privileges in Commerce
are granted, by Spain^ to the 'Emperors Subjcifls,
as are contrary to many former Treaties^ and
to the moft manifefc Rights of other Nations
founded upon thofe Treaties.

I iliall not enter minutely into all the Parti-
culars which are of Importance^ upon this Head.
The SuhjeU has been fo plainly ftatcd, and even
exhaufted, before the World already, that there
can be no need of any Thing farther, than to
refer thofe, who have not yet look'd into the
Depth of this Affair, to the fevcral Memorials
of the States General^ and of thofe commifllon'd
by Them, upon this Occalion j particularly thofe
which were printed here, in the ^aily Courants
oi T>ec. 16. 1725. Jan. 19. 2^. Feb. 5. 8. 12.
and 14. 1725-5. in which all the Pretences of their
Enemies are compleatly and plainly anfwiered j
and the Matter placed in the moft evident Light.

( ^5 )

I will only juft ftate the T>ates and htent of tKe
Treat ie:^ relating to the Commerce moft immedi-
ately affeded by the new Oftend Company ; and
add a Word or two about the farther Confe-
quences of it.

So long ago as the Year \6og^ the &*;;^ ot
Spain^ by the Truce then made with the United
^ro'vinces^ granted them their firft Privileges of
Trade in the B^aft Indies ^ by which the i>utch
Eaft India Company has been from that time in
Poireifion of their Commerce in thofe Parts. But
thefe Privileges wanted Confirmation : and this
they fully obtained from the Crown of Spaiuy
after long and mature dehberation, at the Treaty
of Mtmfier in the Year 1648. by which, the
Crown of Spain not only granted the Hollanders
thefe Privileges ^ but engag'd itfelf^ to maintain
and proteU them^ in the 'Enjoyment' of thefe
Tri^nleges, In this Treaty the Bounds were
fet to the fever al Pretenfions of the T)iitch and
Cajiillans in the Eaft Indies -, and the Limits
of their diftind Navigation and Commerce there,
exactly fix'd : and not only all other Subjeds of
Spain were totally excluded from the Eafi In-
dies ', but the Cajiillans therafelves were for ever
excluded from all Commerce and Navigation
within the Limits of the Hollanders ; as Thefe
were like wife prohibited from entring into thofe
of the Cafiillans,

And

( (^4 )

And, before this, the abfolute exclufion of all
the Inhabitants of tht Nether lands^irom all Trade
or Commerce in the Eaft or Weft Indies^ was
in the Year 1598. made an cxprefs Jrtkk in
the Aa of Cejjion of the Low-Countries by
'T^hilip II. King of Spain^ upon the iMarriage of
his DmghtQv IJahella to the Arch-T^uke Albert :
The Eighth Article of which Cejfwn is this
That " The Arch-T>iike and Arch-'Biit chefs
" themfelvesj and their SuccefTors, fhall not exer-
cifeany Navigation, and Commerce in thcEafi
and TPeft IvdieSy under the Penalty of being de-
prived of thofe Provinces -, and if any of their
i^tihjeUs fliall ad contrary to this, they fliall be
puniflied with Rigour^in fome Cafes even with
Death itfelf, d^.' Neither wa« this at that time
at all complain d of, by the States of thofe Low-
Countries^ even when feveral other Conditions of
the Reception of thofe new Go'vemotirs were re-
monftrated againft, as fo many Grievances upon
the People of thofe Provinces. Neither was
there afterward any Troteji made by any Perfons
concerned, againft this Exclufion^ whilft the King
of Spain was concluding the Treaty of Munfter
with the UnitedTroainces, This fhcws that the
prefent Complaint of the Hardfhip of fuch Ex-
cliifion is new and artificial -^ and comes many
Years too late, as \\. comes after folemn Treaties
made, and renewed, in exprefs Confirmation of
this Exclufion,

To

(65 )

To proceed; Ai^tci' the Treaty oF Mu^^j^ey^ an.
Accident happened, which plainly ihewed
how the fjfth Article of that Treaty was
underftood, not only by the "Dutch^ but by
Spain alfo. One 'Bafiien 'Brower, a Subject
of Spain, either of Brahant, or of Flanders^
had obtained a Perwiffion from the I\jnfr of
Spain, to go to the Coafis of China, whero
he carried on a very profitable Trade.
"When this came to the Knowledge of the
High-Council in India, belonging to the
Dutch-Eaft-hidia Company, they made a fo-
lemn Refolution immediately, and fent it as
an Order to the Commanders of all their
Ships, and to all their Sub j efts, to take this
Man Prifoner; and if he defended himfelf, to
u^tforce againft him. This had its efFeft . The
Man never appeared any more to give them
farther Trouble. Other Subjects of Sfain de-
fifted from all fuch Voyages. The Crown
of Spain never complained of this CotidvM -,
and by this Silence plainly gave TeftimiOny to
the Juftice of that Refolution, as founded
upon the Treaty oi Munjler,

In the Year 1667, by a Treaty between
Britain and Spain, all Privileges of Commerce
and Navigation in both the Indies, were
granted to his Britannich Majefty's Subjefts,
in as full and ample Manner as they were
granted to the Hollanders in the Treaty of
Munfter, And in the Year 171^, a Treaty
of Commerce was concluded at Utrecht be-
tween the Queen of Great-Britain^ and this

I pre-

(.66:)

prcTent Kjf.'g of Spain: by the Firft oArtlcle
of which it is declared, That, " the Treaty
" of Peace, Commerce, and Alliance concluded
" 2it Madrid^ in 1667, is ratified and con-
" firmed by this Treaty ;" and it is added, that,
" for the greater Strengthening and Confir-
"■ mation ot the fame, it has been thought pro-
" per to infert it Word for Word, in this
" Place." Then follows that former Treaty
thus ratified and confirmed.

In. the Year 1724, but one Year before this
NewAlliame^Lt Fiejtna^ this fame Kjng of Spain
was fo fenfible of his OhUgatio7is^ lying upon
him from the Treaty of Munfter alone, that he
prefented, by his Ambaffador at London^ a Me-
morial agaiijfl: the Emp^erors Attempts upon
Trade from Ofte72d ; in which he infilled that
the Affair of the OfieJtd Company fliould be
brought before the Congrejs at Camhray^ in or-
der to have the faid Company abolifiicd, be-
fore he could in Confcience think of confirming
the CefTion oi t\\Q Netherlands to the Emperor:
and urges, that, if this Cc;^//^"rw^z^i(?;/ fliould be
made h"^' S^ain^ " without referving exprefsly
*' to it lelf the exclufive Right on the Navi-
" gation to the Indies^ in general, and with-
" out Exception ; the States-General would
" be rightly entitled to demand SatisfaQ:ion of
-',' SPaln'yiOi' having thereby made a great Infra-
" Sion of the Treaty of 'Munfier^ and would
.^' be difengaged from the reciprocal Obligation
" to abitaiii irom the Navigation of the Spanijlf
" //////W,"" That is, in othcTr Words, that if he,

the

( 6; ,)

the Kjng of Spain fhould not fupport the
^ntch (and confequently the Engliflj alfo) r.-
gainft the E?nperor''s new Eftablifliment at
Ofteiid ; that the7t^ I fay, he himfelf fhould be
juftly charged with a moft di(J)07w:irahle Breach
of Faith, and Violation of fOiemn Treaties.
Thus firand the Engagements of Spai^i, with
regard to the EngUjfj and Dutch, in the Affair
of their \frade to the Indies, and of the E^iipe-
roy''s new Attempts at Oftend. Let us now
confider the Ohlizatio^s and Engagements of
the Ewp^'/dJr himfelf.

The Grand G,4.!lf ance i-joi^httwc^n tlie Er,/-
feror Leopold^ Kj'^^ William^ and the States-
General, is built upon this very Foundation of
the E?!^ Ir [I; 2.nd Dutch Trade to the hidies. as
upon a wWz2 G/^:if»ji of that .Alliance. It o-
psns itfel^f with reciting, that, uppn the Death
01 Charles II. J\jng of Spain, without IlTue, the
£;;;fe'ror claimed the Plight of SuccelTion to his
Countries, 'a's belonging ^to the Atifinun Ea?m-
ly\ and, after other Particdlars, it"fo!lows, " fo
" that without fome Remedy applied; the Em-
" feror will lofe his Pretenfions ; the Empire
" lofe its F/^/i" in 7f^/v ; and the English and
" United Provinces be deprived of the//'fe
" L/^/^ of their Navigation and Commerce
" in the Indies, and other Places," ^c;

Hence it appears, i. That the Eni^'eror'^s
Family claiming by Hereditary Right thefe
Provinces, could not rightfully claim any
Powers, but what were vefbed and remained
in Charles II. the King of Sfain, to whom

I 2 they

(68)

they were to fucceed ; nor poflefs them^hut up-
on the Conditions^ upon which the deceafed
Kjng himfelf had pofleiTed them : And that the
Em.peror neither could, nor did, claim any thing
that hisPredecefrors,=Kingsof*Sp/3!/;/,had parted
with by folemn Treaties; and therefore neither
could, nor did, claim thofe Countries, but upon
the fame Terms and Conditions of Trade, on
which King Charles II. o^ Spain had enjoyed
them, agreeably to folemn Treaties with other
Powers. 2. That the Prefervationof the Trade
in the Indies^ to the E?tglijh and "Dutch^ upon
the Foot they enjoyed it, and in the Manner
it was carried on, to the Death of King Charles
II. 0^ Spain, was one ground, and a main one,
of the Grand Alliance -, and that the Emperor's
Pretenfions to the Low-Countries were fup-
ported by the Engliff) and 'Dutch, upon this,
am.ongfi: other Conditions, that the Emperor
iliould reciprocally fupport their Trade to the
Indies^ ontheEoot they had conflantly enjoyed
it. 3. It having been already proved, that
Holland ever fince the Treaty of Munfter in
164S, &nd England ever fince the Treaty of
Madrid in 1667, have carried on their Tradj
to the Eafi- Indies, to the Exclufion of the
Subjects of the Netherlands, by Virtue of
phofe Treaties ': it follows. That, in confe-
quence of this, and by Virtue of this grand
Alliance it felf (by which the Emperor'^s
Claim to tliefe Countries is allowed, and
the Claim of the Allies to their Commerce al-
fo iafirted on) tlie Emperor did in Etfed ob-
lige

( 69 )

lige himfelf and his Family, whenever in Pof-
felTion of thefe Countries, to take upon them-
felvcs all the Obligations which the Kjngs of
Spam^ to whom they fucceeded, were under, to
England 2ind Holland, by former Treaties, and
to fupport this main End oi t)\Q grand Alliance,
relating to the Commerce of the Allies, (exprefs-
ly mentioned in it,) as well as their own Pre-
tenfions : and, inftead of invading them them-
felves, to defend them againft all Invaders, ac-
cording to the Obligations of thofe former
Treaties. Nay, it was likewife exprefsly fti*
pulated, in this grand Alliance, f^ippofrng it to
end fuccefsfally ; That the Spanifi Netherlands
ihould be (not the Property of the E?nperor ab-
folutely, and without any Conditions ; but) a
Barrier to the United Provinces. So that we
fee, the Emperor, in the gra?id Alliance itfelf,
confidered his own Right to the Netherlands,
with a View to the Trade of his Q.4liies; and
that the Spanifi Low-Countries were eftablifh-
ed in that cAlliance, as a Defence and Guard
to thole Allies, whole Trade is now going to
be ruined from them.

But thefe Olligations are not only the real
Intent and Confequence of the grand oAlliance :
But ir. is declared in exprefs Words, in the Bar-
rier TVf^O' concluded at oAntwerp, in 171^,
between his prefent 'Britannick Majefiy, this
l^vc[tnt Emperor, and the States-General, Avt. i.
That " the Emperorf this prtf:ntEmperor) fhould
" enjoy the Spanifi Netherlands, as they were
'^ enjoyed, or ought to have been enjoyed, by
• " the

(70)

" the late King Charles II. conformably to the
" Treaty o? Rjfwkk.''^ That is, with the
fame Trivileges^ and the fame Olligatio?is^
neither greater nor lefs.

After all thefe folemn Stipulations and Trea-
ties here recited, is it conceivable, what has
now been done in the Face of the World?— That
Emferor, who was under all his Father's Obli-
gations : who could not fucceed, even by his
Title of Hereditary Right, to thefe Low-Cotm-
tries^ but under the fame Engagements with
thole Kjf^g^ of Spain to whom he fucceed s :
Who himfelf, in his own Perfdn, has declared,
in a folemn Treaty, that He enjoys thefe Coun-
tries no otherwife, than as they were enjoyed
\)y the late King of Spain ; that is, under the
lame Reftri6lions and Obhgations to which
tliat Kjfig was engaged : That fame Emperor,
inRead of protetling the Commerce of the
EnglijJ) 2ind Dutch f\*om the Invafions of others,
himfelf openly invades it j inftead of p^nifliing
any of his Subjedls in the NetherJands for oAt-
temps of Trade to the. Ea/l-Indies, or reflrain-
ing them, as he 'is" ftri^fly obliged to do, He
has himklt ere^fedd. Company^ and endowed it
with great Trivileges^on purpofe to Trade thi-
ther; and, inllead of yielding to the juft Re-
monftrances of h^'s injured Neighbours, he has
fet them at Defiance, and flrengthened him-
felf with a new AcceJJion of the Power and
Riches of Spain,, to back this unjuftifiable
Seizure of thofe Rights of Commerce, wliich
arc the efiaUiJhed and peculiar Privileges of

other

, . , ; ^ 71 )
Other Countries. Such has been the Condu8:
of the Etnpror.

And the part which Spain has a£led, with
regard to Oflend^ and the SpaniJI) Netherlands^
is, if poflTible, ftill more extraordinary ; and
more out of the common Road of dealing with
Treaties and Alliances, For thus it is,—
That JC^';?^ 0^ Spai7^ who enjoys his King-
dom under the Stipilations of the Treaties
made by his Tredecejjors : who has con-
firmed them all himfelf, in his own Per-

fon : He, who in one Year declared it

would be a Breach of his Treaties, for Him ever
to acquiefce in the Eftablifhment of the Oftend
Ea/i'India Company : That fame King,the next
Year, does much more than this. He under-
takes, by this new Alliaitce, to fuf port the£/;/-
feror in this very Eftablifhment. Not only this :
but he grants to thefe very Ofienders, and all
other Subjeds of the Emferor in the S^anijfj
Netherlands, what he had no Right to grant
to them, had they remained his own Subje£ts;
nay, he grants them Trivileges of his Torts
and Places in the Indies, greater than are al-
lowed to the EfigliJI) and Hollanders them-
felves : And this, not only with refpe£l to the
Eaft-Indies^ hut the J Vefi- Indie s q.\{o. For by
the 2d and ^d Articles of the K/V;/;;^ Treaty of
Commerce, a Liberty is granted to them, to
frequent, and Trade in, the Ports of the Spa-
fiiJI} WeJi'Indies : Or, fuppofing this not direct-
ly granted, in exprcls Words, yet they are at
leall permitted to tnter into thofe Ports for

victual-

( 70

victualling or repairing their Ships : which wfll
come to the fame Thing. For if they may en-
ter into, and remain in thole Ports, till they
have provided themfelves with all Necellaries,
the Nature of the "Bullion Trade is of that fort,
that no Precaution can prevent that Com-
merce.

I am fenfible it may be objeQ:ed here, that
the Liberty granted to the Emperor's Subjefts,
by the Treaty of Vienna^ to enter into the
Ports of Sfain in the Weji-Indies^ in cafe of
Diftrefs of Weather, or for refrefliing them-
ielves, £ff c. is no more than what was former-
ly granted to his Majefty's Subjects by the
Treaty oi Madrid^ concluded in 1670. But it
is well known, that the Liberty granted by
that Treaty, has ceafed for many Years ; and
that, in order to prevent the Abufes that might
be committed from fuch a PermilTion, and that
one Nation might not be more favoured than
another on any Pretext whatfoever in the
Trade to the Weft-Indtes^ fufficient Care was
taken of that Matter in the 8th Article
of the Treaty of Utrecht^ by which it
is exprefsly ftipulated, and declared in
the following Words : Whereas among other
Conditions of the general Peace^ it is hy com-
mon Co?tfejit eftahlijhed^ as a chief and funda-
mental Rule, that the Exercife of Navigation
and Commerce to the Spanifh Weft-Indies,
ffjould remain in the fame State it was in the
Time of JQng Charles IL of Spain, and that
therefore this Pjde may hereafter he olferved

with

(73 )

with biviolahJe Faith, and in a Manner never
to he Iroken, and thereby all Canfes of Difirufl
and Sufpicion conceriiing that Matter may he
■prevented and retnoved ; it is efpeciaily agreed
and concluded, that no Licence, or any Termifji*
on at all, JJjall at ajiy Time he given to the
French, or any other N'ation whatever, in ajiy
Name, or under am' Trete?ice, direRly, or in-
direBly, ^^ Sail, Traffick, Sfc. to the Domini-
ojts fuhjeH to the Crown of S^'din in America;
except what may he agreed hy the Treaty, or
Treaties of Commerce, (t\\QVQ referred to,Jandthe
Rights and Trivileges granted in a certain Con-
vention called. El AfTiento de Negros. And the
fame Condition is likewiie ftipulated in the
34th -Article Of the Treaty o'i Utrecht, between
the King 0^ Spain and the States. And there
needs no other Argument to prove, that it was
always luiderilood by the Court oi Spain itlelf^
in the Sen le of not fathering any Ship to enter
into any Port of Spain in the JFeft-Indies, on a-
ny Pretext whatever, but to oblerve, That the
EfiglifJ) and 'Dutch are never permitted, though
under the greatell: Diftrefs of Weatlier^or want
of Provifions, to put into any of thofe Ports;
but their Ships if they come in, are conftantly
confifcated: and upon this very Account, that,
if once Entrance were permitted, the Traifick
could not but follow. Yet,notwithftanding that
this is a fundamental Rule of the Treaties of
Utrecht, and an Article of the general
Peace, which is rtrictly obierved with re-
gard to all other Nations ; it is notorioufly vio-
lated, in Favour and Preference of the Emperor's
Subjcds. K Ic

( 74 )

It is turther to be obferved, that with regard
to the Articles of Commerce between 5p^;>,
Englajid^ and HoUajid^ the Lilerty to the EngUp)
and Dutch of entring into the SpamJIj Torts^w^s
always exprefsly reftrained to the Torts of Eti-
rope. But no fuch RefiriBion is once menti-
oned in tlie late Treaty oiVie?ma^ with regard
to xhii Em feror^ Subjefts. Nay, ^llthtTrivi-
b^es allowed to Britain^ are in exprefs Words
allowed/to^^y^^/r ; without fo much as an Ex-
ception to the South-Sea-Shif., and the Aljlento
Qontrati: Whereas in the Treaty of Utrecht
with the Dutch J that Exception was exprefs-
ly made. Thus has the King o^ Spain granted
^// oi\r Privileges, and greater, to the SuhjeBs
<^f.the E'm^sror ; and,inli:ead o^-^roteBing Great
"Britam^ and the Umted Trovinces^ in their
Rights of Commerce^ according to former
Treaties, he has now declared himfelf to be
obliged and determined to protect, by Force,
the Emperor and his Suljetis^ in their hiva^
fion of thofe Rights. And, from all this put
together, it muft be as evident, as Words and
EaHs compared, can make any thing, That the
two Courts of Vienna and Madrid have foun-
ded their new Alliance^ as far as it relpe£ls
Trade, on the Deftru£lion of all publick
Faith, the hifracHon of Treaties, and the Vio-
latioiL of all that can hold together JS'm.ons
in Peac^, and mutual Benevolence. .: , .

After fo, plain a Proof of the great lujuflice
of the Attempt of the Imperial Court upon
Trade, [vom the Spa??iJJ} Netherhvids -^ and of
the King oi Spaing determined Encouragement

( 75 )

of it : It would not be improper here to con-
fider at fome length t\\t Imfortance and Confe-
quence of this Condu8: to opt [elves -^ were it
not that This has been fet in fo ftrong a Light
already, as to make it much lefs neceflary, and
particularly, in a fiort Tre^tife^ Intiiled, The
Importance of the Offend Compa7ty coiifidered.
Yet, before I pafs from this SubjeQ:, I muft
mention fbme few particular Confequences of
this new Eftablifliment at Oftendy and of the
jteifD Treaty of Commerce (by which fo large
Privileges are granted totheSubjeds of the Ne-
therlands') with regard to our Trade ; and in the
end to'our Liberties^^nd our Kf %^-^,themfel ves.
The United Provinces^ it is plain from their
whole Condu^, efteem themfelves undone in
their main Concern, if this Comj^a?j)hQ fupported.
And if They are undone in their Trade; it is
well known to all, who are acquainted with
the Track of Merchandize, that the Gain of
their Lofs in Trade will not accrue to Ejigland^
but fly to thofe Countries where this Evil be-
gan. As to the Eaft-India Trade particularly ;
the fame Rival, which mines That in Hdland,
muft by the fame Methods inevitably mine it
in Efigland. Nay, it muft ruine it iboner and
more effectually here : not only ijecaufe Hol-
land has the fole Property of the Spce Trade,
befides other Advantages; but becaufe the
Dutch Merchandizes are free from the Burthen
of Cufloms ; whilft our Cufioms give the greateft
Encouragement to the 0 fenders to run, and put
off, a Multitude of their Goods in Evgland.
The Damage and Ruine muft be the fame, as

K 2 to

(70

to onvJVe/i- India Trade, from the Trivileges
granted by the Vienna Treaty of Commerce to
the Emperor's SubjeOis : the Privilege of eii-
tring into the SfaniJI) Ports in the Weft-Indies^
and, by unavoidable Confequence, of trading
there, where neither Englifi or Dutch are ever
permitted to enter upon any -pretence ; and the
comfrehenfive Trivilege of enjoying all Rights
which 'Britain enjoys, without any Exception ;
and, by confequence, of interfering with, and
hurting, not only our JJJieirto Contract^ but eve-
ry Inftanceo^ Commerce- -with Spain, which we
have a Right to by repeated Treaties.

Nor can the Evil ilop here, but mull of Ne-

cefTity infmuate it felf into many other of the

.'mofi: important Branches of our Trade, which

have a mutual and indilTolvible Connexion

one with another. The convenient Situation

of the Spanijh Netberlamis between the North

and the Soidh of Europe, for all the Purpofes

of an extended Trade : — The Advantage of the

Ports oi Oftend 'a.n(\ Newport, vj\\\Q\\y though

none of the heft^ yet may vye with thofe of

Holland ; and will be as convenient Harbours

iox "privateers, as €ver Dunkirk it felf was, when

the timefliall come for an avowed and forcible

Interruption to Or/r Trade and that oi Holland:

,The Goodnefs of their Rivers for communica-

•ting z\\ Merchan^izes,^t the moft eafy Rates,

■from Toii^f^ to Town ; and the later Addition

:.of fev^eraHarge Canals, ^nd Carffeways, where

rthe Rivers are wanting:— The Fruitfulnefs of

.the Country, and the eafy Price of all Provifi-

ons, very a'dvantasiousto all Manufadurers: —

The

(77 )
The Lilerties and Trivile^/s of the Towns,
which Ml rubfill: ; very inviting to the fame
ManufaBurers'.—T\\Q. Genius ot zhcTeoi le^ very
well fitted for all the Imfrove7ne?its oF T:^.ide
and Manufactures :— and, to animate tlu-m, the
Experience and HiAory oF paft Times, w' ' jh
will fliew them, that they havefonner'y, w di
a little Encouragement from their Govern^, jrs,
fiouriilied in Manufactures both IVoollert and
Linnen (befides thofe many which they [iill re-
tain;) the IVooUen now again reviving :o a De-
gree of Goodnefs at Limhurgh^ fo as already to
under-fell the Dutch themlelves ; and the Ltn-
nen more eafily revived by the Advantage of
the great Qiiantity of Flax growing iii tliefe

Countries: And this Experience of rbr-

mer Days pointing out to them lil^iev/ife the
PofTibility and Probability of their carry-
ing their Navigation to a great Pitch, in the
KJumher and Strength of their Sul^png^ ixicrea-
fmg by Degrees, as it always does, in Propor-
tion to Manufactures and Fifieries ; and the
fafter, as thefe Countries lie nearer and more
convenient for enticing F'Senuen and S:dlo,\>y
as well as Manufatiurers themfel ves, from hencc,
upon all Occafions ; and alfo for the clandeftine
Importation of WooLl from England and Ireland,
to carry on their Defigns. Thefe, arjd many
more Particulars fliew, that, as one Branch of
Trade leads to another, and one Trial encoura-
ges another ; and as all Commerce is of a fpread-
ing and communicative Nature, where it meets
with proper Materials^ and proper Encourage-
ment \ fo this muff probably be the Cafe, if the

'Be-

( 7S )

^eglnnhjg^ of ^vil be not looked after : That
not only our own Eaft and WejKlndia Trade,
and that of the 'Dutch^ will be ruined by the
Oftend Company, which will be the immedi-
ate Effeti of it ; (or rather is fo already in a
great Degree;) but alfo,that the Contagion will
fpread to many other 'Branches of the Britifl)
and Stitch Trade ; and convey along with it
the Riches^ the Stren^th^ and the Naval Pow-
er, to the fame Spanifh Netherlands.

But were it fo, that Holland alone would be
the Sufferer by the Oftend Trade (which is
far from being the Cafe;) yet the Ruine of Hol-
land mull: carry along with it, in the end, the
Ruine, of Britain. For, as thefe two Nations re-
maining United, are indeed the Turn of the
Balance of Europe, whenever they join them-
felves to any other great Power of Europe ; and
Both of them together, but barely fufficient
for this Purpofe: Whatever Ruines the Trade,
that is, the Riches and Strength of thefe, de-
ftroys at the fame time the Evennefs of that
Balance, which alone can keep Europe in any
tolerable Order. And whatever Ruins any One
of thefe Towers, docs as truly deflroy the fut-
ficiency of that Strength, by which alone that
'Balaiice is prefcrved. And what then muft be
the Confeqiience ? IVhere the Trade and Riches
of thefe, or of either of thefe, fctt\e,there fettles
the Power with them; and that Poza^er remo-
ved from them, muft be the Deft mB ion of the
^Balance; and the Deftrudion of th'^it'^Balance
muft be the lofs of the Liberties of the reft of
Europe, and particularly, as Occafion fllall offer,
of the Liberties of Great Britaiu\ And

( 79 )

And I need not add, that the lame Vofijh
Pozfuer, which will gain all this Strength^ (for it
is in a Fopfij Tower that all this muft Centre,)
will have the fame Stre?igth^ and a greater IVill^
to extirpate every Appearance oiTroteftantifniy
of what Denomination foever, out of Europe ;
without Exception to any one Church above a-
nother ; only with the fatal Excepion of a more
fure and quick Blow to that Churchy a great Part
of whofe Revenues, as well as the Riches of a
Multitude of its Members^ arife from the "DijJ'olutioji
o^MonafierieSj and the Alienation ofoAbhey-Lands ;
and whofe unpardonable Crime it will be, to have
been the great Support of the Refonnation^ and the
Bulwark of the P rote/!: ant Caule againft Poperj\
For where can that Churchy or where can the Trote-
flant Religion^ hope, I will not fay, for Countenance^
but for Sufferance \ when the \v\\o\tP rot eft a7it Power
in Europe^ which, in its prefent Condition, is little
better than a Creature with Pain and Difficulty
iiruggling for Life, fliall be broken to Pieces by Ac-
quiiitions, made by other Powers, of Riches and
Force :Acquifitions, which will be a double Strength
againft it, as they are taken fromThofe who alone
have a Will to protetl it, and added to Thole
who have a Zeal to hurt and opprefs it. And that
this muft be the End of fuch Beginnings ^(u^QVQd to
proceed with Succefs, and gathering Strength eve-
ry Step they go, is as plain, and as true, as, That pro-
ber FoodwiW give Strength gradually to the weakeft
M^/?, capable of receiving it; too great to be re-
fifted at laft by the [trongeft Man^ who fuffers it to
be taken from himjelf\ an4 vvho by that Lofs of

(8o;

Nourishment grows weaker and weaker, as well as
by the Strength added by it to the other,

I will now fay a Word more peculiarly relating
to Great Britain ; and the Concern this Nation has,
in its prefent Circiimftances, in the Fate of its
Trade, or o'iany of the Branches of it. The two lail
Wars abroad, upon which not only our own Safe-
ty, but that of the Liberties of all £/^rop^,depended,
and by which they were preferved ; together with
the continual Attempts of our Enemies, fmce the
general Peace, to load us with the Chains oiPofe-
yy and tke Tretender, have run Great Britain into
a vail Expence :3.nd this Expence has left behind it
an immQnCQ 'Debt; and this Debt, fo juftly due to
the Creditors of the Pub lick, mufl: be paid, both out
of ft ricl Duty, if there be any fuch thing as fublick
"Juftice, and out o^Intereft, it we have a Mind ever
again, in any Extremity, to be trufted. This lies as
a great and heavy Burthen upon the Minds of all
true Lovers of their Country : And, I know, that
for the fake of this fmgle Point, and from their
earneft defire of feeing fo great a Good accompliOi-
ed, without any interruptions, Alany of the beft
Friends to the Tublick are ready to regret any Op-
pofition made to the Defigns ot this AV7£' Alliance,
as the Hrft Step to a War ; and to ask. How much
better, to bear the Inconveniencies mentioned ; to
fubmit to the Lofs o't Gibraltar-, to be contented
with all the Confequences of the Oftend-Trade ; to
connive at all the Defigns of fuch Powers united ;
than to put any Stop to our Profpe£l of a gradual
Paym.entof our Debts ?-Our main Bufinefs, they ar-
gue, is to free our felves from that Load. ThQ Jinking

I'nud

( 8i )

Fund is a good Beginning j ^nd, if not hindied by
Quarrels with Powers abroad, muft go on to di^
miniili our Debt. This Payment of our Debt,
we fliould lool; after, as our Strength in future
Times, and our greateft Force againft our Eiie-
mies i and not fhew our felves fo concerned a-
bout the Points jnft now mentioned.

On the other Side, I cannot help entirely dif*
-feriog from all this. Nay, I cannot forbear to
urge this very Oppofition to the Ne-jj Alliance^
as the only certain Method of taking any one
Step farther towards this Great Good j as fo ab-
folutely neceflary, that i&itkout it^ there is an
End of all Hope of it* And I contend for the
moft 'vigorous Optofitton to the Defigns of this
Ne^jj Alliance^ fiJr this very Reafon, becaufe we
are in Debt 5 and muft be for ever in Debt j and
fhall never probably have it in our Power to
pay any ^art more of that ^ebt -, if thofe
Defigns go on unoppofed and unrefiited.

For in the firft Place, Tliey who argue againft
it, from this Confidcration, leave out a main
'Taint I and a Point which comprehends all other
Evils in it; and that is, the continued Attempts of
putting the Preti'7idir upon us: which, muft fuc-
ceed unlcfs we fhew our felves determined to op-
pofc any Fo'Ji'er engaged in Support of fuch De-
figns. And if this one thiyig fucceeds 5 it is of
fmall Importance to our Debt^ what our Trade
will be after this is effected. Every one can fee
that a Debt, contracted in Order to keep out Him
and his Family for ever, will never be paid, but
by cne Univerfal Bht fpread over the Face of

L the

( 8i)

the whole Accompt , if He a^oM ever be fet-
tled here, againft whom this "Debt has railed Ar-
mies, and mann'd fleets, and fought many fuc-
cefsful Battles. What Good therefore, towards
the Payment of our Debt will a fupine Negli-
sence do ! or what Account can the Credttors
of the TiMck hope to find, from not oppofing
an Alliance which may other wife too probably
end in the eftablifhing a f'»^ here, unoer
whom the leaft Evil will be this, That the Cre-
ditors of the Publick will be lure of lofing at
once their whole juft'D.^^ and the 7»«r./ of it >
But, putting the Pretender wholly out of the
&ue/lm, asaPerfonnotinBeing; Or.fuppofing
^t felves fecute from every fufire Attempt m his
Favour: yet, the C«/. with RefpecT. to the Pay-
mem of the'D^^^ muft very foon be the fame;
(however it may happily difF« « ^f £,'her
Particulars) if the Conditions of thefei\r.:£; Trf^-
ties at Fknna, both VtMck andJPr/.;^/'., are,
through out fupine Negligence, fufFet d to be ful-
filled. For, what is the finhng Fund from
which we hope for Relief J It is the Surtlus
of the Troduce of the Cuftomst^n^ F'f'r'r 7
mthePaymem of the OvULtft, and of the /«/.-
reft of the Nattonal Tiebt. Theie Cuftoms^K^
xL Appurtenances to Trade and Commerce Take
away L7 Part of this Trade, or dmunilh it m

any Branch, ,uftfo much *" P^°P°7"/°\t
minim or take away from thefe Cuftoms. The
firft;i;ingthetefore,tlutmuQfeelthe<D— .«
of our W^, is the Produce of our C«/^«^,
and the fiift thing that muft feel theDimmut.oa

( 83 )

of our Cujiotns, is the Sinking Fund: becaufe
the Civil Lift and the Intereft of the National
l^cbt muft firft be paid, before anj Surplus at
all can be laid apart for the Payment of the Trin-
cipal. Let therefore your Trade decay ; permit
the Ke'Ji: Company at Oft'ind , to make your
own Eaji znd JVefl-India Trade utterly imprac-
ticable j and fuffcr your own Commerce to be
by Degrees tranfpianted, and to flourifh, in the
Netherlands^ under the Advantages and Encou-
ragements in thofe Parts juft now mentioned ;.
befides the Frohibitions upon your own Manu-
fadures every Day incrcafmg upon you: and
this alone will immediately prevent any fuch
Surplufage from remaining. For v/hat Need of
\^^ords ? As Cuftoms arc the Appendages of
Trade, they muft decay with it : As the Sinking
Fund depends entirely on the Abundance of CuJ-
toms, this muftj^r/? vanifh upon their Dccreafe.
What then muft immediately become of the
principal T^ebt ? And indeed, very foon after this,
what muft become even of the Intereft of it :
when the Cuftoms, which are the Fund for the
Yearly Payment of that Intereft, are themfelves
vanifh'd away ? And I will add, never after this
to be recalled again.

For here is the real Diftxrence between the
fjjo Methods of proceeding, now under cur Conii-
deration. Ftrft, As to that of vigorous Oppo-
fition to the Mcafures of the Ne'-^' Alliance \ if
wefhould ailov/ to Thofe who thus argue againft
it, that it may pofTibly bring on, in its natural
Courfe, an Interruption to Trade, and a iJiyni-

L 2 nut ion

( 84)

nut ion of Cuftoms ; and confequently a Stop to
that Payment of the National Debt which de-
pends upon the abundance of thefe Cuftoms: Ytt,
this is but iTemporary Stop, If thcfe vigorous
Meafures meet with Succefs, and the Bleffing of
Providence attend upon them, the Courfe of
Trade opens itfelf again with Vigoor 5 and, the
Cuftoms reviving in Proportion, the SinkingFund
muft of Neceflity do fo too. And if this Me-
thod of Vigorous Oppofition fhould not be fuc-
cefsful 5 the Cafe could not be vvorfc than it muft
be without it. Por in the other Metkod^ That of
Supine Negligence, and of yielding to ail De-
mands without the Attempt of any Relief; our
Conduct has but one certain Event poflible, as
to the Point now before us. The Sinking Fund
muft, with the Decteafe of the Cuftoms, vanilh
immediately: and fo muft, foon after it, the An-
imal Intereft of our Debt. And then, the longer
the Oftend Company continues its Commerce,
ihzjironger and more extended muft it grow;
and the more extended that is, the more confined
jiiuft our Eaji and Weft -India Commerce be, in
sll their Branches, till they dwindle into nothing;
and the more the S'-Ji^eets of Trade arc tafted in
the Spanifi Netherlands, and the Atiftrian Coun-
tries too, the more improbable or rather impofTible
It will be, ever ro recall it into thefe Parts, upon
any fuch Terms as can make the CuftomSy once
ruined, revive in England, In a Word, in
one Way, the Diminution of the National T^ebt
may be interrupted by a vigorous Opposition to
Meafures abroad : but then will revive a-

cain

( 8j )

gain, and go on in its proper Channel. In the
other Way,the ^zmcT>immt4tion, andLofs of the
Means of paying the ^eht, and even the Inie-
refi of it, will be the Pate of this Nation : and
that, with this unhappy Aggravation ; that, if the
Lofs comes this JVay, it is never to be retriev*d;
nor any Hope left of that Payment for tl>e fu-
ture.

As others therefore are moved by a Regard to
this great Good to the Nation, to be averfe to all
Methods of vigorous Oppofition 5 I cannot help
being moved by the fame Regard, the very con-
trary Way : and what They fear, becaufe we have
fuch a ^ebt upon us, which ought to be paid 5
that I ''Juijhy for the fame Reafon^ becaufe we
are in Debt; and that 'Z)^^/' ought to be paid;
and that Debt cani^ot be paid without fuch an
Oppofition as may prefcive our Commerce upon
a Foundation granted to it by the moft folemn
Treaties, the only Tar chafe of the Toil and Ex-
pence of Britain ; and fuch a Foundatian, as alone
can enable us to go on in a gradual Juftice to
the Creditors of the Publick*

And in fuch a Method of proceeding. This ought
to be our great Support and Confidence, that it is
not an arbitrary Contention againft the Rights of any
other Nation in the World ; nor a Conteft for our
Trade, merely as our great Advantage, or as the In-
ftrument of paying the National 'Debt, and fecuring
the National Happinefs; but really and truly a Con-
tention for our ftrid Right and Due, invaded with
an high Hand by other Powers, againft the Faith
of Treaties y as well as the Force of the highqft

Obliga-

( 85 )

Obligations. Nor can we conceive a more ab-
jed Servility of Condudl, than for a Teople fo
long fam'd for Commerce and Bravery, to fee
their 'Darling Good, and their peculiar Glory ;
the Pledge of their Libert)^, and Life of all their
Property, jufl going to be forcibly and unrighte- .
OLifly torn from them -, and tamely to look on-
without one Struggle for fo great a Blelling, or
one hearty Effort againft the Invaders of it.
What can we become, if wc give our Confcnt
to fuch Ruine by our own fupine Indolence and
Infenfibility ; and luffer our felves to be flripp'd *
of our boafted Strength and Ornament at once ;
but a Nation, the moft dcfpicable of all Nations
under Heaven ; expofed to the Contempt and Ip-
fults of the World about us here below^ and
render'd utterly unworthy, by our own Condud,
of the Care of Providence above us?

IV. After all this faid upon the Confequcnces
of this Ne'UJ Alliance, with a particular Refped
to the Vroteftant Eftablifhment, the VojfefJionSy
2nd the Commerce, of Great- Britain j it will be
very proper now to touch upon another Article
of the Secret Part of it, in which, not only
Britain, but all Europe in general, is extremely
concern'd : I mean the Marriages agreed upon,
between the Emperor and Spain ; which, added
to the comprehenfive and extended Trade now
likely to be tranfplanted into the Netherlands,
muft conftitute a Power in one Family beyond
all that we have known, Formidable and Irrifift-
ible. The Marriages I ipeak of, are thofe

of

J

( 87 )

of the two Arch Dutcheffes^ Tiaiighters to the
prefent Emperor, with the two Infants of Spain^
Sons to the King by his prefent ^leen. And
that thefe are agreed upon, as a main and eflen-
tial Point in this New Alliance^ We have the
following Proofs,

I. Immediately after the Signing the Vubl'ick
Treaty of ?eace at Vienna, Ripperda very free-
ly talk'd of the Marriage of ^on Carlos^ the
eldefi Son of the prefent Queen of Spam, with
the eldeji Arch T^nt chefs, as a fixt Matter ; and
that the Prince of Afturias was difregarded in
this Alliance J becaufe of his 'ill Health, as he
pretended at that Time : and a little while after,
he fpake as openly and pofitively about the
Marriages, both of T>on Carlos and his Bro-
ther. One of his Convcrfations was very Re-
markable, and full of fuch Circumfiayices as will
not let Us doubt of the Truth of the Subjed of it.

* The King's Mtnijiers in Spain, and the whole

* Spanifh Nation, (fays He') are bitter againft me :
' but' I laugh at all that. The G^ueen will prote<a

* me. I have done her fuch Services that fhe
' can't abandon me : for thus the Matter ftands.

* The Fropofals of the Imperial Court were of

* a Marriage with the Trmce of Afturias, and

* my firft Inftruci'ions from Spain were for the
' Trince of Afturias -, but it was I, who got that
' Deftination chan<;ed. 1 wrote to the §)ueen to
*■ engage the Prince of Afturias, without De-
■* lay, to a Daughter of Tortugal, that he might

* not (land in the Way of T>9n Carlos : And it

* was

( 88 )

* was I that found the Way of turning all this j

* Affair to the Advantage of her two Sons, And
' do you think I have much to Pear after fuch
' Services " ?

2. This agrees exadly with the Language of the
Court of Madrid : VVherc, after the Treaty of
Veate ^j^s, known to be Sign'd at Vienna^ this
AUiance with the Emperor was freely fpoke of,
as xh^ Queens own Tranfa£iion entirely 3 enter'd
into, and condudcd by herfelf-, and the Marriage
of ^on Carlos fpoke of, at firfl, without referve
or Appearance of Secrecy, as a Matter agreed up-
on. Nor did an y •<?«<? Per fon, who frequented the
Court of Spain, make the leaft Doubt of it.

3. This will help us to Account for other
Parts of the Condutt of Spain : which, without
this, will be wholly unaccountable, and out of
the Road of all Policy. For inftance, Suppofe
only thefe Marriages j or That alone of 2)^»
Carlos with the eldeft Arch T>ut chefs ; and this
will fhew us. Why that Court could be btought
to difcard the Neutral Garrifons^ and all other
Securities furnifh'd by the §luadruple Alliance
for the Eftablijhing her Son, that fame ^on
Carlos, in Italy j and to truft to the Emperor's na-
ked Word in fo great a Point : viz. Becaufe by
this Marriage it would come about, that the
Emperor, by fecuring thofe dominions in Italy
for x)^w Carlos, would fecure them, at the
fame Time* for the Iffue of his own ^Daughter }
and fo muft of Neceflity, for che Sake of his

own

^ ^Jk. j,'^'i<M^eillSs:-^:

( 89 )

own Intereft, and the aggrandizing his own Fami-
ly, be finccrc and zealous in this Affair. On
the other Side, the fame Sappoluion of this
Marriage gives a rcafonable Solution^ Why the
Court of Spain has confentcd to, what the Spa-
nijh Mmijhrs at the Congrefs would not hear
of, the Guaranty of the SucceJJion in Germany y
as lately eftabU(h'd in the Houfe of Aufiria:
"viz. Becaufe it comes about by this Marriage, that
being Guarantee to the Emperor iStKceQion in
his Auftrian ^Dominioyis^ is no more than being
Guarantee for the Qiieen's own Son T>on Car-
los^ the future Husband of the eldeft Arch-
^ut chefs } and that Self -Inter eft muft make
Spain, under its prcfent Adminiftration, fincere
in this Guaranty. And upon any other Bottom,
we may fafely defy the World to give a Solution
of thefe^ and feveral other Appearances, in this
New Alliance.

I need not go farther, and appeal to any
Words that may have been dropp'd in Confidence,
at the Court of Vienna itfelf, upon the Subject
of thefe Marriages ; and that, with a particular
Plcafure and Satisfaction exprefs'd in them : Since
we have io much, and fo (Irong, Evidence of the
Reality of it, from the Mouth of Ripp:rda, who
made the Treaty ; and from the Language of the
Court oi Spain itfelf j as wellas from ihc utter In-
conflftency andUnaccountablencfs of the Proceed-
ings of that Court without this Suppofition.

I acknowledge indeed, That at Vienna^ when
it began to appear that what had been faid upon
this Head had allarnVd Europe \ and when, in par-

M ticLilar,

(90)

tfculaf, the great Aim was to keep the Stitch
from acceding to the Treaty of Hanover ;
which might be haflen'd by lb terrible an Ap-
pearance : Then, the whole Affair of thefe
Marriages was utterly difown'd ; nay, in Or-
der to deny thefe Marriages^ it was abfoluteJy
denied that there was any iuch Thing in Being
as a fecret Treaty between the E^nperor and
Spain. I am not afraid of relating this, after
all the Proofs before given of the Reality ot a
fecret Treaty j and of this Article in it 5 nor at
all unwilling that it fhould work as much as it
can, and have all the Weight it ought to have .'
For I am confident, that, as this Condud con-
vinced no one Pcrfon at Vien'ria ,• and matk not
the leaft Impreffio^i upon the T>iitch Mmifiery
or his Mafters ,- fo it will make no Imprcilion
upon Any who have read what J have before
laid down, unlcfs it be this, That they who can
adt an unjufiifiable Part, can, without Scruple,
and with the fame Eale, bring themfelves to a
peremptory and abfolute Denial of it, 'till the
proper Time comes for thcix open Avowal
of it.

But as this Article of thefe Marriages muft
remain undoubted; we cannot help (pending a
few Thoughts upon the Confcquenccs of them,
or of the Firft of thein only. There is but one
Life, that of the Prince of AfturtaSy between
^on Carlos and the Crown of Spain, alter the
Deeth of the prefent King. There is only the
fame Life between ^on Carlos and the Crown
of France 5 Ihould the prefent King there dye

without

(91)

without 7/7^/^ Male '^ and the late Renunciations
not take Place: both v/hich Events may happen.
And as to the vaH: Hereditary Dominions of
the Houfe of t^uflria, T^on Carlos will come
to them by RiL;ht of his Wife. And as Experi-
ence has (hewn us, for many Ages, that whoever
is Mafter of thefe Dominions, and the Power that
attends them, has been and muft be Emperor, noD-
withftanding its being an Elective Crown : T^on
Curios^ by marrying the eldeji Arch T>titchefs^
cannot tail of being Emperor. So rhar ^on
Carlos may poilibly be at once. Emperor, King
of France^ and King of Spahi : and have the vaft
Strength and Riches of all thefc Powers united
and centcr'd in him.

I have thus fiiiiiciently fhewn the many and
complicated Evils of this A^c''^ AUiayice between
the Emperor and Spain -^ andthejufi: i^'Ipprehtn-
ftonSy and well-grounded Fears, which the Court
of Great-Britain could not but entertain, from
all Appearances and all Advices, about the Nature
and Tendency of it, with Regard to the preicnt E-
flab'.ifhment of the Cro\zm of Great-Britai?i j to ouc
"Foffeffions ; our Comimrce \ our Rellgim ; our Li-
berties^ and thofe of all Europe ; and, in a Word,
to every Thing that ought to be Dear to Us. And
now, Let any Pcrlbns amongft us, Vv^ho know
how to prize th<:fe iyiefiimable Goods^ which
alone make Life itfelf valuable, f.irvcy :his Mezj
Alliance in every Part of it: and judge, '■^\iz-
^ ther ever hitherto anj one Scheme has appeared
' m Europe^ of a Deftrudion fo univcrfal, and

Ma * of

■ (n)

^ of a Ruinc fo extended, as This (taking the
* whole together) appears plainly to be".

It is time now for us to enquire, What has been
the Conduit of the Court of Great Britain, up-
on the View of all thefe Evils.

1. The firft ftep they took was to renew, by a
Treaty, the Defenfive Engagements fubfifting be-
tween Great Britain, France, and VruJJia. But
this Treaty was not let on foot till fome Months
after the Ne-jj A'Uance between the Emperoitr
and Spain ; and afcer the befl: Intelligences, and
moft mature Confideration, of the Teyidency of
that Alliance, And as this Treaty, made at Ha-
nover^ has long been pubiick in the World ; I
need not obferve that it is a Treaty entirely T^e-
fenfive between Britain, France and ^PruJJia, for
the mutual iupport of each other, againft Injuries 5
and not at all for the invading, or injuring, any
Nation under Heaven.

2. Particular Regard was fhewn to the St cites
Geiieral.'m the framing of the Treaty of Hanover :
to which they have fince acceded. The next
care was to invite the Crown of Sweden into this
Alliance; that Kingdoni having fo otten and fo
fucccfsfully appeared in the Defence of the Pro-
teftant Religion, and of the Liberties of Europe.
And the Landgrave of Heffe-Caffel, v/hofe Fami-
ly has done fuch /ignal Service to the Proteftant
Caufc, readily offcr'd a good Body of Troops, in
iupport of this Alliance.

Thafc are the Steps which the Court of Great
l^jit^m though^: fie to take as foon a§ pofliblc.

(95 )

after the Danger we were in, appeared evIJent
beyond all contradiclion.

3. As the Parliament of Great Britain found
their Country immediarely threatn'd in itsgreatcft
Concerns from thcfe Treaties of Vienna j Both
HoLifes gave his Majefty all Ajfurayice of fupport in
whatever He fhould think fit to do in the prcfent
critical Conjuncture. And accordingly it was ne-
ceffary now to confider in earneft, what was moft
proper to be done. The Court of Great Britain
had evident Proof that nothing could influence
the Two New Allies to Terms of Rcafon, but to
fhew a "vigorous Spirit againft every pernicious
or fa fpicious part of fuch an Alliance. And as
all Appearances, in all Parrs, convinced them.
That nothing could fo effcdually guard againft
approaching Evils, as the d.rpatching fuffi-
cient Squadrons of Ships to fevcrai Places ; and
as they were fenlible that our hUet^ now the beft
in the World, could never be of any Account,
either tovv'ards our Glory or our Safety, but up-
on fuch an Occailon ; They did, with all poffible
Diligence, fit out Three Squadrons of Men of
War : One for the IFeft. Indies^ One for the
Coafts of Stain, and One for the Baltick.

It will now be askVi, as it has been indeed al-
ready, What betieficiai EffeEi has this Method
had ? What Good have we gaind, or what Evil
have we prevented, by thefe Grand Appearances
of our Fleets abroad? And if anAnfwer maybe
ireafonably expected, by Thofe who ask thefe and
th? like §luefiions 5 fo is it alfo a jull Expectation,

That,

( 94 )

That They fiiould be as ready to receive a Rea-
Ibnablc Anfwer to them, as they are to ask them.

As to the Treaty of Hanover j I will iuppofe,
no Apology can be expected for That^ after fuch
a furprizing and formidable Conjunction of the
T'-^o Powers of the Emperour and Spain ; the De-
iign, and the Articles of which Conjun£lion ap-
peai'd every Day more and more terrible to their
Neighbours . The Contracting Parties in the ^4-
«(7Lvr Treaty mud have been taxed Vvith hijat na-
tion and Infcnfihiliiy , beyond the common
Pitch of Thofe Evils, if They had not enter'd in-
to 2ijiri^ and hearty Concert for their own Self-
^efencey in fuch circumftances, of prcfent Invafi-
on of the Trada oi fome of them 5 and of Fore-
bodings oi future Evil to them All.

But as the Qucftion here at home, chiefly, if
not folely, refers to our Naval Armaments from
England ; \Yhat have They produced, or. For
what Reafons were They fent ? The Anfwer is
very plain. As to the Squadron fent to the PFeft-
Indies ; I believe there is no one who has an
Eftate in thole Parts, or is concern'd in any Trade
thither, who did not think it highly ncceffary to
have a Strong Squadron in thofe Seas, for fecuring
our Commerce; v/hich mult otherwife have been
inevitably ruined,by the Depredations and Violences
committed by the Spaniards for feveral Years paft
without Redrefs. And if the fending of the faid
Squadron has prevented the Return of the Gal-
leons; no Man who is inthelcafl converfant in
the Affairs of Europe, can make any doubt but that
.this Incident has been the only Thing that has

hitherto

( 9T)

hitherto prevented a War in Europe, by depri-
ving the Courts of Vienna and Madrid of the
means of putting in execution the dangerous
Schemes they had projeded.

The Squadron fent to the Coafts of Spain, was
fcnt to prevent any Attempt from that Country, to
difturb Us at Home : The Court of Great Britain
being afllired, beyond all doubt, as I have before
particularly related, that an Ojfenfi-ve Treaty was
concluded at Vienna j and that an Attempt was
dciign'd from Spain, and Preparations m^iking
for it, at that Time, in Favour of \\\Q'Tretender»

And the Squadron fent to the Baltick was fent
to pre:ventvery great Evils in thofe Parts ; there
being no room to dcubr, that the Czari?2a\ real
View was to go with a Fleet diredly to Stock-
holm, apd under a Pretence of demanding the Ufe
of the Forts, and the A^fTiflance of Sweden for the
Recovery of Slefizick to the Duke of Hcljlczn,
aftually to dethrone the prefent King of Swe-
den\ and make that Nation abfolutely dependent
on Miifcovy, It was therefore, judg'd of the ut-
moft Importance to prevent this, by fending a
ftrong Squadron into the Bahick 5 not only as it
was the preferving a Friendly To^jner, and a
'Power Necefl'ary to the Balance of the North :
but particularly, becaufe Sweden could not but
be confider'd in the Nature of a Frontier and Bar-
rier to Britain itfelf, to fuch a Degree, that if
that Kingdom were once either made fubjed to
Rujfjla, or Dependent upon it, Britain itfelf muft
be in Apprehenfion of Attempts from the Ruf-
fian

(9^)

Jian Ravagers, coming with their Fleet froitt
Gottenburg to our Northerft Coafts : an Evil not to
be cTQarded againft, after the Subjcdion o{ Sweden^
but by the Expence^ cither of a conflant Fleet
upon thofe Coajis, or an armed Force in thofe
Parts of our Country, which Ue moil open tofuch
Attempts.

The Defigns and Views in fending out thefe
Squadrons being fo unexceptionably Good ; fup'
pofing that, through the T>ifpoJitwns of Trovi-
dence, and the Oppofition ot Wnids and Wea-
ther, Succefs had not attended upon any One
of thefe Squadrons i nny, that Gr^^r and Extra-
ordinary Misfortunes had followed them all : yer,
They who are not fo weak as to argue from
Succefs alone } They who know the Uncertain-
ty of Seas^ and JVinds^ and Weather^ and have
too much Underftanding to think \\\^ Event ow-
Jy to be the true Criterion of Judging about
the V/t[dom of any Projedt i all Perfons, I mean
of good Senfe, fliould, methinks, have been
ready, even in (uch a Cafe, to have applauded
what was done upon fo good Grounds, and with
Views lb much for the Honour and Safety of
their Country. But, God be thank'd, this is not
the Cafe. Every one of the Armaments has had
Succefs equal to the Goodnefs of the Errand,
they were all fent upon 5 and even, beyond Ex-
peftation. . For, as to the Squadron in the Weft'
Indies i it has not only proteded the Trade of
His Majefty's Subjcds in thofe Parts from the De-
predations of the Spaniards j but alfo the Ga-
leons with their Stores of Money, the Strength

9f

(97 )

of the New Alliance, :ind the lif,^ of all the Trojccls
concerted inir, arc kept back : and thofc Attt?npts
dilappoinred which would have been made, and
perhaps lucceeded, had fuch Riches come to
their Aid. The Execution of the Schemes laid
in Spain for an Invafion of Great-Britain, in
Favour of the 'Pr^fffr/^if-r, was, at that Time, pre-
vented by the Appearance of a Britifh Fleet up-
on the Spanifi Coafts : and all the Evils and
Diforders, as well as Expence, avoided, which
an Attack of that Sort muft have occafion'J, e-
ven fuppofmg it repiilfcd from hence -, and the
utter Ruin and Dcftrudion, that muft have en-
fued, had it lucceeded. And by the Squadron
in the BrJticky the Czarinas whole Force of
Ships and Galleys was kept in, within the Bounds
of Safety to themfelves and their Neighbours ;
Her dcftrudive Dcfigns agauTft S'ji'eden, with all
their ill Confequences to Britain and to other
Countries of Ettrope, prevented from Execution
in every Inftance : and, after, all the boaftcd
Strength of the Ships and Seamen in the Ser-
vice of that Cron'n^ Rujfia itfelf, and all Europe
convinc'd, that t'SJenty Britifi Men of IVar can,
upon any Occallon, make them difappear as if
they were not, and fneltcr themfclves in their
own Ports as if they had no Views but thole of
Qiiiet and Security.

But here is the great Advantage to Thofe who
make fuch Enq^u'iTies as thefe we have been now
confidering, without a Difpofition to be fati'^tv'd :
That^i/'/'/j" prcvcnced, go for no E-ctls } and be-

N c'.ufe

( P8 )

caule they were not vifibly perceiv'd by our
Eyes, nor Icnfibly felt by our Nerves, before we
find thcQi at a greater Diftance from us , there-
fore, They who are in the Difpcfition oi Satyr (fo
much eaficr than Traife') will probably think
them (elves at Liberty to deny this Freedom from
luch Enjils to be at all the Effed of the Mea-
fures taken 5 and to perfift in it, that no fuch E-
vils would have conie, or could have been juftly
fear'd, if thefe Methods had not been taken. And
in this Manner, 1 own, They may talk for ever
againft all poflible Light ; if the whole Scene
which I have, in the former Part of thefe Papers,
laid before them, be not of Force enough to
work another Perfwafion in them. Yet, one
Thing, 1 will affirm, ' That we, and other
' Nations arc, at prefent, adually free from
' the Evils and t^ttempts I have mention'd,

* Jince thefe 'digorous Meafures have fliew'd

* 'themfelves in the View of Europe 5 and that
' They themfelves cannot lay it was certain, (as

* others will not fay, it was in the leaft proba-

< ble) that We ihould have been free from thofe

< Evils and thofe Attempts, had ;^(?/^ thefe i\/^^/;vJ
*■ been taken."

ihus therefore, flands the Affair of thefe three
Squadrons. They were fent upon Defigns of the
jaft Confequence, and exceedingly Honourable,
to Great-Britain : And they have had tlic Succefs
of fully anfwering the Ends propofcd.

It was not, we fte, to affert the Sovereignty
ot the SsaSj merely by (hewing themfelves in

feveral

(99 )

feveral Parts of the World in a For;^ fuperior
to that of other Nations, that thefc Armaments
were fitted out. The aflerting our Sovereignty
of the Seas, as a Point of mere Speculation, at
a great Expence, and without any other View,
may, perhaps, be a Subiecl fit for xMen of Wit
to be pieafant with, and to entertain thcmfelves
and their Friends upon. But to afi'ert the tS"^-
njereignty of the Seas, as a 'Point of Action, up--
on a jurt Oecallon : -— To fhew xXxVi Sever eigntf
in the Sight of thofe Nations, who are making
their own Strength at Sea the Inrtrumcnt of
Ruine to their Neighbours :--To fhew it, in Op-
pofition to thcfe Nations who are contriving to
convey Mifchief to ourfeives, and Alliftance to
our Enemies, by the Sea itfeif : —If this be not the
proper Bufmefs, and the peculiar Glory of Bri-
tain, as the great eft Maritime Toner now in
Europe I then our A^^i/^-is itfeif a Ridicule up-
on ourfeives ; an Oftentation only, kept up at
a vaft Expence; and a Piece of I'^anity, unwor^
thy of a Grave and JVife Nation. But no
more upon this Part of the Subject.

Another Guieftton will be askd, What has
been, and muft be, our Expence upon this Oc-
cafion ? .And it will be added, Are ''^ie alone to
bear fuch Burthens, without a Proportion of
Expence from thofe who are our Allies : whilft
Thofe whom we are oppofing, feem to be at
little, or none at all ? To the firft Branch of this
§lueftion. What is our Expence ? It is certainly
enough to anfwer in General, Let it be what it

( ICO )

will ; if it be neceffary for ouro-jun Security, and that
of Europe I if it be inclined for the preventing
the greatcft Evils, and as the only Means of ^ro-
curing a better State of Things : it may juftly be
faid, to be not at all comparable to the Nccelli-
ty for it , not to be put in the Balance againft
the Mi [chiefs which might have arifen from the
Want of It i and very much beneath the Good
which has and will come from it* The whole
Point to every true Br it en is, Whether it was
nccelkty, fitting, and rcafonable :-They that think
ii certainly fo, and They that think \x. -probably io^
muff be plcaCcd with it. They that think it a
mere Piece of Gaiety in Thofe who prefide ; or
an hafty Blunder in the Dark j will have other Re-
ilntments about it : But they muft firft think them
mere Mad-men, or mere Idiot s^ before they can
come to this. In the mean Time, till Ibme-
thing of this Sort appears, we cannot but think,
Thar, if the attempting to guard ourfelves and
our Neighbours from very great and comprehen-
hvQ Evils, be laudable; and if the preventing the
Beginnings of thole Evils can make an Expence
ncceJary,' fitting, and rcafonable j then the Ex-
pence upon the prelent Occafion is certainly lb.
' But as this in general is Satisfaction enough,
of whatever Sort or Degree the Expence is ;
provided it be a lejjfi:r E^il than what it has
hitherto kept off : fo it will not be difagreea7
ble to remark, That the Expence upon thefe
Jslaval Armaments is of fuch a Nature, and ac-
companied with (uch CirctmfianceSj as to make

'"■■ ' "' ■' ■ ' ^ ' 'If

( loi )

it much the more tolerable in the Eyes of every
Briton. The Expcnce is chiefly an Expence
amongft ourrdves; and fuch as only circuiatr^s
Money from one H^d to another. The
Vii^ualJing To many Ships is the Advantage of
our own Farmers and Graziers. The Pvig&ins
our and equipping them, gives Mony to our ovv^n
Builders and Workmen, The putting them into
Motion when they arefb repair'd, is known to be
of Service to the Ships themfelves : which other-
wile lie ftill, and often receive fuch Damage, as
at the End it cofls more to redify. The Em-
ploying fo many Seamen is ftill employing our
own Subjeds, and giving our Money to our own
Country-Men : befldes the great future Benefit a-
rifing from this Neceflity itlelf ; as they are kept
in Adion by it, and inured to the Service of their
Country^ and the more fit to defend it upon all
Occafions to come. So that the Expence of our
Naval IDefence, which is the true and natural de-
fence of Britain j tho' it, indeed, muft be a Bur-
then to thofe who pay towards it, as all Pay-
ments are : yet it is a Burthen with this Ad-
vantage to the Tublickj that it fends not our Mo-
ney abroad 5 it lofes it not to the Nation ; it re-
moves it indeed out of one Pocket into another,
but it is ftill our Money, and remains among
ourfehes. The Community and Body ot Subjects
taken together are not the Toorcr for it; tho' the
Terfons paying it to others, are fb : and if it be
for their own 7iecefjary ^efence^ and for the
Safety of all the P.eft qf their Polfcilions, All

hO'

( 101 )

honefl: Men among them will be glad, They are
lo.

But then our Expence, the' great, is not a^
Jone. The Difpofitions made by France^ ever
imce the Signing of the Treaty o^ Hanover, have
more than kept pace with us, in the largenefs
of the Expence. The firft Step taken by the moft
Chrijlian King was, to augment his regular
Troops with Twenty five Thoufand Men j and
this in fuch a Manner, that they were prefently
ready for Ad ion upon any Occafion. At the
fame Time he order'd a Levy of the Militia, to
the Number of Sixty Thoufand Men : and ap-
pointed thefe to be commanded by the Ancient
Officers reformed oi his old Troops ;not to mention
Twelve Thoufand Invalids^ put into good Or-
der, and double Officer d, for the Defence of
fuch of his Cittadels and Forts as tiicy are proper
for. Thefe, and other Difpofitions, which have
been made to put France into a Condition to fup-
port a War, if it fhould be nccefiary, amounted, for
this laft Year, by a certain Calculation, to fifteen
hundred and fixty thoufand Pounds Sterling j and
if the Mtlitia fhould be obliged to march out of
their Provinces to the Frontier?, it will amount to
a far greater Sum. And by this Method it comes to
pafs, That thefe fixty thoufand Militia, and twelve
thoufand Invalids, remaining in Garrifons and for-
tiiied Places, as the Service Ihall require j That Ktng
van fend into the field, without Inconvenience,
1 65000 Men of his Regular Troops. Such has been
for fome Time the 'Difpofition there, in Order to
|hew thexYr^y AllieS; that Frm^e is not only in

earneft^

( 105 )

earncft, but in a well difpofed Condition of
difputing any Attempts againft itfelf, or its
Allies,

The United Provinces indeed, came but late-
ly into the Alliance^ from the frame of their
ConftittitiGn, naturally begetting ^Delays and pro-
longing their T)ebates'^ and not from any Want
of the Senfe of their Dangers, and the Neceflity
of their acceding to the Treaty of Hanover. For
from the Time of their AcceJJion to that Trea-
ty, they have fhewn a Warmth and Vigour wor-
thy of the Occafion. They have agreed unani-
moufly upon fuch Augmentations of their Land
Forces, as by fiext Spring will make them above
50000 effective Men : And the neceflary Mea-
furcs are taking for their having a Fleet at Sea of
Twenty Men of War. Eefides which Expenci\
ichtin^ to thcCc Augr/ient at ions, They have been
at a very great Charge in providing their Maga-
zines, and putting their Barrier and Frontier
Places into a good Pofture of 'Defence. But
whoever reads the late Refolutions aod Rtpreftn-
tations of the States General i and fees with how
deep a Concern, and in how pathetical a Man-
ner, they fpeak of the Calamities now threatnmg
thcmfelves, and the reft of Europe ; declaring
their Ruine muft lye at their own Door, if all
theVrovinces do not, in a Cafe of fuch Neceili-
ty, confent to a6t the Part of Men in a vigorous
Defence of themfelves, and readily concur in

* JVhat^ in the Opinion of their High Mighti'

* neffeSy is indifpenfably neceffary to the com-

* iDon Safety and Prffervation i and without

* which

( I04 )

* which the JVell-bemg, Liberty and Religion of

* the whole Republick, will be put to the Ven-
' ture '. Whoever reads this, and much more faid
and inculcated by Them with a particular Vehe-
mence,will not think,that They are not dercrmin'd
to defend themfelves by all neceffary Mcalures a-
gainft the Dangers now hanging over their Heads.

x'\t the fame Time, xhoi^ 'Powers^ which have
railed this t^llarm, and occafioned this defenjive
Expence to their Neighbours^ cannot ftir one
Step in their own o-fftnjive T)eJignSy without a
very confiderable one to themfelves. His Impe-
rial Majeftj/y befides the many Promifcs of another
Sort, which He has bcftow'd around Him, has
entered into real Obligations which cannot be
performed but at a very great Expence. To the
Elector oi Cologne he has engaged to pay 600,000
German Florins a Year, for two Years; to the £-
leBor of Bavaria^ the fame ; to the Ele£ior Ta-
latin and of Treves the fame ; and to the Duke
of Wolfenbuttle 200,000 Florins j befides what
is ftipulated to others. Add to thefe his own
great Expences, in recruiting and in refitting his
whole Army, and preparing every thing of all
Sorts, neceflary for Aciion : An Expence in the
whole fo great ! that nothing but the vaft Advan-
tages It is to receive from his new Alhance, and
the Expedation of Re?nittances from Spain, could
have induced him to think of it. And what
then muft the Expence of Spain be ; which has
not only it's own Army to put in Order and aug-
ment ; not only it's own Towns and Coafts to
guard 5 but the Emperor's Demands to anfwer }

And

( loy )

And what a State of things muft the Ncccili-
tics oi Spain n I'cif, together with tiie T)emands
of the Emperor J biing that King and his Country
into ; even if his tlota with it*s ufual C^r^d? of
^joney fhould come. Home fafe: when it is well
known, that, before thefe neuj Expences, ( the
EfTccl of the A"(ftc Alliance) all the 0^/7 and Mi-
litary Officers belonging to that Cro'i^nj and their
whole Army, were in great At rears r, and all the
Royal Revenues anticipated for a Year and a Half 5
and that the '■ji'kole Nation was in a State of very-
great Poverty and DiftrefsJ And if fiich immenfe
Expences can be run into with Zealj for the In»
jury and Opprefiion of other Countries: furely^
an Expcnce, much fmaller in itfeif; and directed
folcly to the Defence and Trefervation of our-
felves in the Rights and Troperties \Ye are juftly
in PoOeflion of, cannot be thought unworthy of
the Britijh Nation ; nor unjuflinable in Thofe who
have ah'cady begun it, only becaufc they thought
it ablolutely rieceff.rry. But ftill other Queftions
arife upon this Subject.

It may be asked, Could not the Court ^1
Great Britain ail this while have tryed otker
Methods^ than allarming Eitrope with Fleets ?
The Methods of a friendly Congrefsy or Pro-
pofals of a more peaceable and amicable Na-
ture? Was there PiO Way of proceeding, but de-
manding of the Emperor^ the foie Propriety of
Trade ; and engrofiing it to Br it era and Hdliand :
as if other Nations had no Right to the World,
befides our felves? In v/hich Way of talking there
is fomeching very right, and fomething very

O wrong.'

( io6 )

wrongi For certainly it muft be granted, that we
ought to prepare ourfelves with Vigour to oppofe
Injury \ as well as to be ready to propofe, or re-
ceive, any reafonable Methods of Accommodation.
To do xhcfrji, without a Difpofuion fhewn to
the latter, I acknowledge, would have been un-
juftifiable. To do the latter without the frjl^ had
been Wcaknefs and Folly : and could have pro-
ceeded from nothing but a Total Ignorance of
the plaineft Rules of political Condu<5l -y which
have long ago eftablilbed It as a certain Maxinty
that the beft Way to Feace upon fuch Occafions,
is with the Sword prepared for the Day of Ne-
ceflityj and that thofe Powers, who can fuffer
themfclves to invade or demand the Rights of a-
thers, will laugh at all Accommodations offered,
when they fee them unaccompanied with fuch Ap-
pearances as fhew the Refolution oi Thofe others to
defend their Rights by Force^ it Reafon cannot
prevail.

I anfwer thcreforc,to thefe and the like Q^iefiions.

1. It never could have been juftified, in the Court of
Great-Britain, to have made Propofals of Ac-
commodation, without the moft vigorous Meafurcs
taken, which alone could make them effcdual.

2. li^ fomc of the Pretences and demands of
iK\s new Alliance, no Equivalent, no Accommo-
dation, could be propoled. In the Cafe of the
Demand of Gibraltar', whilft the Nation feems
univcrfally to concur, that no Sum of Money,
nor any other Place of Strength abroad, can be
any Equivalent to it : what could be propofed,
but a Refolution to defend the Nation in its juft

Tojfeffi<n\

( 107 )

^ojfejfion of it -, efpecially, ilncc the whole prc-
fent Conduft of Spain may aflure us, by a frefli
Evidence, that it is of the utmoft Importance;
and that, if that Place were once gone out of our
Hands, we fhould have ftill lefs Hope of feeing
Treaties obferv'd, or of hindering ourfclves from
being more and more injured, on that fide, in our
Commerce ? 3. In the other great Cafe, that
of the Emperors new Eftablifhment at Ojiend,
the Court of Great-Britain never went upon
fuch an arbitrary Maxim as. That other Illations
ought not to be permitted to begin and extend
their Commerce wherever they rightfully could,
as well as ourfehes -, or that ic'^ had any Right to
oppofe fuch Attempts : But upon thefe undoubted
Maxims of Truth znd R/ghty-Thzt Treaties zrc to
be obfcrvcd ;-"That, when any Country is exclu-
ded by Treaties from any particular Branch of
Commerce, it is not to be authorized and fupported
in carrying on the faid Branches of Commerce in vi-
oiation of the laid Treaties ; and— -That thofeT*ow-
ers which have, by tc^czicd Engagements^ obliged
thcmfelves to defend and fupport the Britijh and
^utchTr^idCj are juftly to be oppofed when they
themfelves come to be i\\q. Invaders ^ndT^eftroy-
ers oi it. Agreeably to all this, 4. As the Court
of Great'Britain has taken fuch vigorous Mea-
fures as fhew the Refolution of Self defence : {o^
has it never been wanting either to piopofe, or to
receive, any reafonable Method for the Accom-
modation of this Matter, to the Emperor's Satis-
faction 5 if He could be fatisficd with any thisg,
but a Trade in open Contradiction to all Treaties.

Oz In

( io8 )

Jn particular, It was TulHciently intimated to the
(ZQUi::o( y^e:i::a, that the Britijh Court pretended
to nothing in this Aifair, but to defend the Right of
Ttade belonging to Britain by Treaties j far from
afiliming to themCelves any Right of controlling the
Emptror, or his Subjccls, in any Attempts, not con-
trary to thofe Treaties: That therefore, ih\\c Empe-
ror would remove, this C^w/^w;', and the Seat of
Trade ^ now at Oftendj to Trtejie, or any other Place
in his 'Jjamimons j^sihizh. did not heretofore belong
to the\5/>^7.//?7 Monarchy J ^ri/tf/« was ready qui-
etly toacquiefce. And the fame was ofFer'd to the
Court oi Madrid y in the form of a TropofaL when
his Cathciick Majefty had juft begun to cfpoufe the
Emperor's Intereji, in this Affair of Oflend,

But tho' the Coivrt of Spain not only acknow-
ledged the Re^.fonabknefs of the Propofal ; but
jiiade great ProfcfUons of Hope that it would
t»e accepted : yet, at the fame Time, it was de-
clared, That Spain was uiider Engagements to
iland by the Emperor^ even fuppoHng his unrea-
finable Refulal of it. And at Vienna, the Intima-
tion made no ImprfJJJon at all: The Refolution
there, by this appearing plainly to be. The Sup-
port of the O ft ^nd Company^ and Treide from the
Netherlands^ againil all Stipulations.

But however this ended at Vienna and Ma-
drid 5 Jc mud have this Effect at London j to
convince all Perfons, that, as no one^ either real
pr pretended, Vrovocatwn from Britain^ gave the
iirfl Occafion for this new Alliances (one End of
>vhich was the Eftablifhmcnt of the Emperor's
^ev/ andunv/arrantabicDefigns in Trade ;) So, the
" Court

( 109 )

Court of Great-Britain, in the midft of all Pre-
pajiations for the ^Defence of this Nation's Rights,
has not neglected to try other Methods of a
peaceable and amicabk Nature 5 but fhewn a rea-
dinefs to do any thing, even for prefent Peace,
except to give up the AdvantageSy Rights and
Privileges of Britain, of more Importance than
present Peace : and thefe f^dvantages founded
upon Treaties; which therefore. They who pre-
fide are obliged to guard and defend, as a facred
^epofitum, not only out of Love to their 0««-
?r/ common to Them with all others, but out of
feculitir Duty and Obligation ; as they are intruft-
ed with this Guard:anjhip and Defence, by the
Puhlick ; and as an Account of this Truft may
juftly be demanded of thera.

If then, nothing reafonable, in the Way of y^f-
commodation, has been wanting on their Part jThey
will not eafily be blamed , (it is to be hoped rather,
they will be highly commended) for This, that
They have not permitted themfelves to be mif-
led by any fmooth Words without Meaning;
or to be hindred from taking all necefTary Precau-
tions, by any Amufemmts of Congreffes^ or Em-
bajjies, or Negotiations, only thrown in their
Way to gain Time to others, and to lofe it to them-
felves : Since it is evident, that irreparable and />-
retrievable Evils might have come from the not ta-
king thefe ncccflary and timely Precautions. And
were it fo, that They had fpent their whole Time
in fending and receiving fruitlefs MefTages back-
wards and forwards, in fuch a critical Conjunc-
t'are j we may venture to fay, we know the Per-

( no )

ions who would have been the firfl to charge,
(and very dcfcivcdly too) the Ruine of this Nation
upon them; and to have demanded Juftice againft
them tor fuch a Conduft; in fuch a Time of Danger
to their Country.

And indeed, fuppofmg this to have been the
Cafe; fuppcfing the Court of Great Britain^
I in (uch a Situation ; with fuch repeated Advices

||. from all Parts ^ with fuch Demonftrations. of

Danger from abroad, as put out of a'l Doubt
the true Nature and Deiigns of fo formidabJe an
Alliance as that of the Emperor and Spain : I lay,
fuppofing this Court, furrounded with all thefe
Evidences, to have entered into no Mealures of
Defence with any neighbouring States and 'Prin-
ces-, to have taken no Steps towards preventing
the Mifchief threatened j to have fent out no Na-
I'al ArmammtSy either to preierve any friendly
Powers, or to quaih any Attempts of others 5
Who would not rife up, and demand an Account
of fuch a Conduci from Thofe who alone are to
anfwer for it ? Who would not join in faying,
' Is this the Ufage fit to be given to a brare and

* confiderng People ? Is this the watchfulnefs of
^ Thofe^ whofe Duty it is to attend to every diilant

'r * View of Danger? Or, do They think fo meanly

r * of its and the "ujhole Nation, that we can fie

* nothing but what we feel-, and that we have a
' Senfe of no Evil, but what is preftnt : Or,

* that we arc fo made, that a little Expence

* would affright us from prefcrving our all; or,

* reduced to fo lo'ju a Condition of Poverty, that
' wc ^an't purchafe or furaifh out even Self-de-,

fine?

( HI )

fence to our felvcs ? Were not other Trinces
and States threatned by the fame Danger ; and
ready to unite with us? Muft our Fleet, the
Glory (as it is call'd) of this Land, lie ftill and
decay, rather than be made our Bulwark ? Our
Fleet ^ failly call'd our Glory, but indeed our
Shame, whilft it is laid afide as ufelcfs, at a Time
when That alone might make us look too for-
midable in Europe^ to be infulted or atfronted ?
Or, docs even this Expmce which circulates
chiefly amongft ourfelves, appear too formidable
to a Nation which thofc around it envy, as
the Centre oi Riches and Plenty? But why do
we (peak of Expence? It is this Method of
Indolence and Ina^ivity upon fuch an Occafi-
on, which muft bring after it an Expe-nce much
greater in itfelf; and much more hazardous in
its Effe(fl: ; as Time fhall add Strength to the
T)anger threatened: an Expence, which muft i

increafe our Debt, and at the fame Time ditni- 1

nifi the Hope of paying it. What Account '

can we give of fuch ^Treatment of this Nation ?
As we can find none in all the known Meafurcs of \

ToliticalVrudence ; we muft fearch for it fomc- j

where elfe. --There mud befecret Reafons for '!

fuch a Condudl j and perhaps thefe may lye in
the Riches of Spain^ fuffered to come fafciy
home, to ftrengthen and confolidate the moft
dangerous Conjun^ion that ever yet appeared in
Europe \'-1\i\% and much more might judly be
urged, upon the Suppofition of a negligent and
una6iive Condud in this Crifis of Danger. And
what Reply to make to it, I profefs 1 think it
utterly impollible to tell. But

1
4

( III )

But this is not the Cafe. The Court of
Gretit Br it am has aO:ed quite another Part ; and
eiiter'd into that Method of ligarous Slf^
defenccy by which alone, in all human Wif-
dom, there *can be the kaft Hope of preventing
or rcpulfing any dangerous Attempts againft all
our highefi Concerns: and 7i Met body to which
No other Principle could poillbly have diredcd
Thoie who have cholen it, but That of an honcft
Regard to the FoJJeffionSy the Trade y the Right Sy
t!\c U^ell-Beingy and the Behig itlelf, of this
now happy and envied Nation.

F 1 N I S\

k

5\^AXWEU. - A.W. DAiNES