ers, who considered him as a prince capable of making
either scale preponderate, just as he might choose to trim the balance.
Thus he preserved his wealth, commerce, and consequence undiminished;
and instead of being harassed as a party, was honoured as an umpire.

The United Provinces, though as adverse as his Danish majesty to any
participation in the war, did not, however, so scrupulously observe
the neutrality they professed; at least, the traders of that republic,
either from an inordinate thirst of lucre, or a secret bias in favour of
the enemies of Great Britain, assisted the French commerce with all the
appearance of the most flagrant partiality. We have, in the beginning of
this year's transactions, observed, that a great number of their ships
were taken by the English cruisers, and condemned as legal prizes for
having French property on board: that the Dutch merchants, exasperated
by their losses, exclaimed against the English as pirates and robbers,
petitioned the states for redress in very high terms, and even loudly
clamoured for a war against Great Britain. The charge of violence
and injustice, which they brought against the English for taking and
confiscating the ships that transported to Europe the produce of the
French islands in the West Indies, they founded on the tenth article of
the treaty of commerce between Great Britain and the states-general of
the United Provinces, concluded in the year one thousand six hundred
and sixty-eight, stipulating, "That whatever shall be found on board
the ships of the subjects of the United Provinces, though the lading, or
part thereof, may belong to the enemies of Great Britain, shall be free
and unmolested, except these be prohibited goods, which are to be served
in the manner described by the foregoing articles." From this article
the Dutch merchants argued, that, if there be no prohibited goods on
board, the English had no right to stop or molest any of their ships, or
make the least inquiry to whom the merchandise belonged, whence it was
brought, or whither bound. This plea the English casuists would by no
means admit, for the following reasons,--a general and perpetual license
to carry on the whole trade of their enemy would be such a glaring
absurdity, as no convention could authorize: common sense has dictated,
and Grotius declared, that no man can be supposed to have consented to
an absurdity; therefore, the interpretation given by the Dutch to this
article,