together; as the influence of one rises, that of the other must, by
consequence, decline. Alliances may form a temporal show of friendship,
but it cannot continue; for their situation produces a natural
rivalship, which every accidental circumstance has contributed to
increase. Long wars, for many reigns after the conquest, established a
radical and insuperable hatred between us, nor did those wars cease till
the reformation produced new occasions of jealousy and aversion. France
was, by these reasons, obliged for many ages to employ all her influence
and policy in strengthening herself against us, by treaties and
alliances; and in our times, has given us a new reason for jealousy by
extending her commerce, and improving her manufactures.

It has been, therefore, my lords, the settled principle of every wise
administration, of every Briton, whose opinions were not regulated by
some other motives than those of reason, to attend, with the highest
degree of vigilance, to all the designs of the French, and oppose, with
incessant diligence, every attempt to increase their force, or extend
their influence, and to check their conquests, obstruct their alliances,
and forestal their trade.

For this great end it has been our constant endeavour to support the
Austrian family, whose large dominions and numerous forces make a
counterbalance on the continent to the power of France. For this end we
entered into a long war, of which we still languish under the
consequences, squandered the lives of our countrymen, and mortgaged the
possessions of our posterity. For failing in the prosecution of this
purpose, for leaving France too formidable, and neglecting the interests
of the emperour, was the treaty of Utrecht censured, and the authors of
it prosecuted by the present minister; but how much he has improved the
errours of his predecessors to his own advantage, how diligent he has
been to rectify the miscarriages of their conduct, and supply the
defect, I shall endeavour to explain.

It is well known, my lords, that during the regency of the duke of
Orleans, we had nothing to apprehend from French machinations; his
interest, a tie which that nation is seldom found to break, held him
steady to his engagements with us; nor is it less known how much he
distrusted Spain, and how little, by consequence, he favoured her. We
had, at that time, no necessity of anxiously attending to every whisper
of the French court, which was sufficiently