.

Whether they have carried on negotiations, or made war; whether they
have conducted our own affairs, or those of our ally the queen of
Hungary, they have still discovered the same intention, and promoted it
by the same means. They have suffered the Spanish fleets to sail first
for supplies from one port to another, and then from the coasts of Spain
to those of America. They have permitted the Spaniards, without
opposition, to land in Italy, when it was not necessary even to withhold
them from it by any actual violence; for had the fleet, my lords, been
under my command, I would have only sent the Spanish admiral a
prohibition to sail, and am sure it would have been observed.

They have neglected to purchase the friendship of the king of Prussia,
which might, perhaps, have been obtained upon easy terms, but which they
ought to have gained at whatever rate; and, to conclude, we have been
lately informed that the neutrality is signed.

Such, my lords, is the conduct of the ministry, by which it cannot be
denied that we are involved in many difficulties, and exposed to great
contempt; but from this contempt we may recover, and disentangle
ourselves from these difficulties, by a vigorous prosecution of measures
opposite to those by which we have been reduced to our present state.

If we consider, without that confusion which fear naturally produces,
the circumstances of our affairs, it will appear that we have
opportunities in our hands of recovering our losses, and reestablishing
our reputation; those losses which have been suffered while we had two
hundred ships of war at sea, which have permitted three hundred
merchant-ships to be taken; and that reputation which has been destroyed
when there was no temptation either to a compliance with our enemies, or
to a desertion of our friends.

It is well known, my lords, that we make war at present rather with the
queen than the people of Spain; and it is reasonable to conclude, that a
war carried on contrary to the general good, and against the general
opinion, cannot be lasting.

It is certain that the Spaniards, whenever they have been attacked by
men acquainted with the science of war, and furnished with necessary
stores for hostile attempts, have discovered either ignorance or
cowardice, and have either fled meanly, or resisted unskilfully.

It is, therefore, probable, my lords, that either our enemies will
desist from the prosecution of a war, which few of them app