ered, that Britain was an
island, that the pretender could not be forced upon us without an army,
and that an army could not be transported without ships, that the
emperour of Germany had neither navies nor ports, that Gibraltar might
be easily supplied with every thing requisite for its defence, and that
any attempt made by Spain to injure our trade, might easily be punished
by intercepting their Plate fleets.

They would then have considered whether attempts so improbable, and
stipulations so absurd and ridiculous, ought to be credited upon the
information of an ambassadour's secretary, who, as he proposed to reveal
his master's secrets for a bribe, might as probably take another reward
for imposing upon those whom he pretended to inform. Those, therefore,
who advised his majesty to assert to the senate what they knew from no
better authority, those whose daring insolence could make their
sovereign instrumental in alarming the people with false terrours, and
oppressing them with unnecessary burdens, well deserve to feel a
senatorial censure.

But our ministers, my lords, were too much frighted to make such
reflections: they imagined that destruction was hanging over us, and, in
a dread of arbitrary government, oppression, and persecution, concluded
at Hanover a treaty with the French.

Thus the French gained our confidence, and raised in us a distrust of
both the powers with whom it was our interest to be united: but the
alliance of the emperour of Germany with Spain made them still uneasy;
and, therefore, they determined, once more, to make our credulity
instrumental in procuring a reconciliation between them and the
Spaniards.

To effect this, they kindly gave us intelligence, that when the
Spaniards should receive their treasures from the Western Indies, they
designed to employ it in favour of the pretender, and that, therefore,
it was necessary to intercept it. This advice was thankfully listened
to, a fleet was fitted out, and thousands were sacrificed without any
advantage; for the French not only forbore to assist us in the
expedition, but forbade us to seize the treasure when we had found it.

The Spaniards, apprehending themselves attacked, omitted no opportunity
of showing their resentment; they seized our ships, and laid siege to
Gibraltar, while our new allies looked quietly on, and expected the
event of their own scheme, which was far from being defeated by our
policy; for the Spaniards, finding the