onal purposes; had it been employed in
liquidating gradually the public incumbrances: in augmenting the navy,
improving manufactures, encouraging and securing the colonies, and
extending trade and navigation; corruption would have become altogether
unnecessary, and disaffection would have vanished: the people would have
been eased of their burdens, and ceased to complain; commerce would
have flourished, and produced such affluence as must have raised Great
Britain to the highest pinnacle of maritime power, above all rivalship
of competition. She would have been dreaded by her enemies; revered by
her neighbours; oppressed nations would have crept under her wings for
protection; contending potentates would have appealed to her decision;
and she would have shone the universal arbitress of Europe. How
different is her present situation! her debts are enormous, her taxes
intolerable, her people discontented, and the sinews of her government
relaxed. Without conduct, confidence, or concert, she engages in
blundering negotiations; she involves herself rashly in foreign
quarrels, and lavishes her substance with the most dangerous
precipitation; she is even deserted by her wonted vigour, steadiness,
and intrepidity; she grows vain, fantastical, and pusillanimous; her
arms are despised by her enemies; and her councils ridiculed through all
Christendom.

PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED.

The king, in order to exhibit a specimen of his desire to diminish the
public expense, ordered the third and fourth troops of his life-guards
to be disbanded, and reduced three regiments of horse to the quality of
dragoons. The house of commons presented an address of thanks for this
instance of economy, by which the annual sum of seventy thousand pounds
was saved to the nation. Notwithstanding this seeming harmony between
the king and the great council of the nation, his majesty resolved, with
the advice of his council, to dissolve the present parliament, though
the term of seven years was not yet expired since its first meeting. The
ministry affected to insinuate, that the states-general were unwilling
to concur with his majesty in vigorous measures against France, during
the existence of a parliament which had undergone such a vicissitude of
complexion. The allies of Great Britain, far from being suspicious of
this assembly, which had supplied them so liberally, saw with concern
that according to law it would soon be dismissed; and they doubted
wh