the Dutch, at any rate, for their 6,000
as per Treaty", cries everybody. Which is done. But the Dutch piteously
wring their hands: "Dare not, your Majesty; how dare we, for France
and our neglected Barrier! Oh, generous Majesty, excuse us!"--and the
generous Majesty has to do it; and leave the Dutch in peace, this time.
Hessians, Hanoverians, after eloquence enough, are at last got sent for,
to guard us against this terrible Invasion: about 10,000 of each kind;
and do land,--the native populations very sulky on them ("We won't
billet you, not we; build huts, and be--!"), with much Parliamentary and
Newspaper Commentary going on, of a distressful nature. "Saturday, 15th
May, 1756, Hessians disembark at Southampton; obliged to pitch Camp in
the neighborhood: Friday, 21st May, the Hanoverians, at Chatham, who hut
themselves Canterbury way;"--and have (what is the sum-total of
their achievements in this Country) a case of shoplifting,
"pocket-handkerchief, across the counter, in open day;" one case (or
what seemed to be one, but was not); ["At Maidstone, 13th Septemher,
1756;" Hanoverian soldier, purchasing a handkerchief, imagines he has
purchased two (not yet clipt asunder), haberdasher and he having no
language in common: _Gentleman's Magazine, _for 1756, pp. 259, 448, &c.;
Walpole, SAEPIUS.] "and the fellow not to be tried by us for it!" which
enrages the constitutional heart. Alas, my heavy-laden constitutional
heart; but what can we do? These drilled louts will guard us, should
this terrible Invasion land. And indeed, about three weeks BEFORE these
louts arrived, the terrible Invasion had declared itself to have
been altogether a feint; and had lifted anchor, quite in the opposite
direction, on an errand we shall hear of soon!

About the same date, I observe, "the first regiment of Footguards
practising the Prussian drill-exercise in Hyde Park;" and hope his Grace
of Newcastle and the Hero of Culloden (immortal Hero, and aiming high in
Politics at this time) will, at least, have fallen upon some method of
getting Colonels nominated. But the wide-weltering chaos of platitudes,
agitated by hysterical imbecilities, regulating England in this great
crisis, fills the constitutional mind with sorrow; and indeed is
definable, once more, as amazing! England is a stubborn Country; but it
was not by procedures of the Cumberland-Newcastle kind that England,
and her Colonies, and Sea-and-Land Kingdoms, was built together; nor by