aty
of Hanover, by which we stipulated to destroy the fabrick that we had
been so long and so laboriously endeavouring to erect; by which we
abandoned that alliance which we had so diligently cultivated, which we
had preferred to peace, plenty, and riches, and for which we had
cheerfully supported a tedious, a bloody, and an expensive war.

This conduct, sir, raises a greater degree of admiration, as the authors
of it had exhausted all their eloquence in censuring the treaty of
Utrecht, and had endeavoured to expose those who transacted it to the
general hatred of the nation; as they always expressed in the strongest
terms their dread and detestation of the French; as they animated all
their harangues, and stunned their opponents with declarations of their
zeal for the liberties of Europe.

By what impulse or what infatuation, these asserters of liberty, these
enemies of France, these guardians of the balance of power, were on the
sudden prevailed on to declare in favour of the power whom they had so
long thought it their chief interest and highest honour to oppose, must
be discovered by sagacity superiour to mine. But after such perplexity
of councils and such fluctuation of conduct, it is necessary to inquire
more particularly what are the present intentions of the ministry, what
alliances have been formed, and what conditions are required to be
fulfilled.

If we are obliged only to supply the queen of Hungary with twelve
thousand men, we have already performed our engagements; if we have
promised any pecuniary assistance, the sum which we have stipulated to
furnish ought to be declared; for I suppose, at least, our engagements
have some limits, and that we are not to exert all the force of the
nation, to fight as if fire and sword were at our gates, or an invader
were landing armies upon our coasts.

I have, sir, from my earliest years been zealous for the defence and
exaltation of the house of Austria, and shall be very far from proposing
that any danger or distress should influence us to desert it; but I do
not easily discover by what means we shall be able to afford any
efficacious assistance: for the power of Britain consists chiefly in
naval armaments, which can be of very little use to the queen of
Hungary, and I know not any state that will easily consent to unite with
us on this occasion.

If there be, sir, any states remaining in Europe which the French can
neither intimidate nor bribe, we ought studio