rading part of his subjects had
sustained such losses, that his kingdom was filled with bankruptcies;
and the best part of his navy now contributed to strengthen the fleets
of his enemies. The election of a stadtholder had united the whole power
of the states-general against him, in taking the most resolute measures
for their own safety; his views in Germany were entirely frustrated
by the elevation of the grand duke to the Imperial throne, and
the re-establishment of peace between the houses of Austria and
Bran-denburgh; the success of his arms in Italy had not at all answered
his expectation; and Genoa was become an expensive ally. He had the
mortification to see the commerce of Britain flourish in the midst of
war, while his own people were utterly impoverished. The parliament of
England granted, and the nation paid such incredible sums as enabled
their sovereign not only to maintain invincible navies and formidable
armies, but likewise to give subsidies to all the powers of Europe. He
knew that a treaty of this kind was actually upon the anvil between his
Britannic majesty and the czarina, and he began to be apprehensive
of seeing an army of Russians in the Netherlands. His fears from this
quarter were not without foundation. In the month of November, the earl
of Hyndford, ambassador from the king of Great Britain at the court of
Russia, concluded a treaty of subsidy, by which the czarina engaged to
hold in readiness thirty thousand men, and forty galleys, to be employed
in the service of the confederates on the first requisition. The
states-general acceded to this agreement, and even consented to pay
one-fourth of the subsidy. His most christian majesty, moved by these
considerations, made further advances towards an accommodation both at
the Plague and in London; and the contending powers agreed to another
congress, which was actually opened in March at Aix-la-Chapelle,
where the earl of Sandwich and sir Thomas Robinson assisted as
plenipotentiaries from the king of Great Britain.

{GEORGE II. 1727-1760}

COMPLIANT TEMPER OF THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

The elections for the new parliament in England had been conducted so as
fully to answer the purposes of the duke of Newcastle, and his brother
Mr. Pelham, who had for some time wholly engrossed the administration.
Both houses were assembled on the tenth day of November, when Mr. Onslow
was unanimously reelected speaker of the commons. The session was opened
as us