es." This unmeaning little
war--unmeaning in the higher sense--was also the last campaign of the
illustrious Prince Eugene. Eugene did all that a general could do to
hold up against overwhelming odds, and but for him the victory of the
French would have been complete. The short remainder of his life was
passed in peace.

Walpole gave satisfaction to some of those who disliked his peace
policy by the energy with which he entered into the settlement of a
petty quarrel between Spain and Portugal. The dispute turned on a
merely personal question concerning the arrest and imprisonment of some
servants of the Portuguese minister at Madrid. Walpole was eagerly
appealed to by Portugal, and he took up her cause promptly. He went so
far as to make a formidable "naval demonstration," as we should now
call it, in her favor. But he was reasonable, and he was determined
that Portugal too should be reasonable. He recommended her to show a
willingness to come to terms, while at the same time he brought so much
pressure to bear on Spain that Spain at last consented to refer the
whole dispute to the arbitrament of England and France. The quarrel
was settled, and a convention was signed at Madrid in July, 1736. It
was a small matter, but it might at such a time have led {36} to
serious and increasing complications if it had been allowed to go too
far. Walpole unquestionably showed great judgment and firmness in his
conduct, and he bore himself with entire impartiality. Spain was in
the wrong, he thought, but not so absolutely or wilfully in the wrong
as to justify Portugal in standing out for too stringent terms of
reparation. At one time it seemed almost probable that the English
minister would have to employ force to coerce his own client into terms
as well as the other party to the suit. But Walpole "put his foot
down," as the modern phrase goes, and the danger was averted. Even
Cardinal Fleury, who co-operated with Walpole in bringing about the
settlement, thought at one time that Walpole was too strenuous and was
likely to overshoot the mark.

[Sidenote: 1736--Walpole's peace policy]

England had troubles enough of her own and at home about this time to
occupy and absorb the attention of the most devoted minister. To do
Walpole justice, it was no fault of his if the activity of English
statesmanship was compelled to engage itself rather in the composing of
petty quarrels between Spain and Portugal than in any conti